


The Pokemon King

by AconiteWolfsbane



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), The Lion King (1994)
Genre: Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-25 08:09:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9810782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AconiteWolfsbane/pseuds/AconiteWolfsbane
Summary: A Pokémon/Lion King crossover.Disclaimer:I don’t own Pokémon, or the Lion King. But we already knew that, so…Okay, I decided to try to find a crossover between my two biggest loves of my childhood: The Lion King, and Pokémon. Both are shows that I was obsessed with for a long time, although my obsession with The Lion King has waned in favour of Pokémon… And now that's dying in favour of Steven Universe. Anyway, many of the fics that I found were either not the style I was looking for, or barely started, never mind finished.So, I decided to write one. I did have some trouble with casting though, and in the end, I decided not to give Pikachu a major part in this. It’s rather hard to write for a character that doesn’t speak English. (which is why I made Wobbuffet play the part of Ed the crazy hyena. Ed doesn’t do anything but laugh, and Meowth is far too talkative for the role…)Anyway, I hope you like it.Speech.Thoughts





	1. Prologue

_**A Delicate Situation.** _

A tiny Rattata, only a few days hatched, crept out of the hole, and scurried towards the small morsel of food that had been placed on the floor. A hand reached down and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck, lifting it up to the shadowy face of a man with short black hair in a dark suit. “ **Life’s not fair, is it?** ” Giovanni watched as the creature struggled, bemused at its attempts to escape. “ **You see, I… Well, I shall never be king**.” he turned towards his Persian, whose eyes glinted hungrily at the small terrified rodent Pokémon. “ **And you… shall never see the light of another day.** ” He reached back and calmly made to drop the Rattata into the Persians' waiting mouth. “ **Adieu.** ”

“ **Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?** ” Tracey calmly stepped into the room, and crossed his arms as he stared the older man down.  
Giovanni sighed, his fun interrupted. “ **Want do you want?** ”  
Tracey smirked. “ **I’m here to announce that King Samuel’s on his way, so you’d better have a good excuse for missing this morning’s ceremony**.”  
The Rattata chose that moment to turn and bite Giovanni on the hand, causing him to release the Pokémon with a pained snarl. It quickly rushed back into its hole, avoiding Persians' hungry snaps. Giovanni glared first at the small drops of blood on his hand, and then at Tracey. “ **Oh look, Tracey, you made Persian lose his lunch.** ”  
Tracey laughed. “ **Ha! You’ll lose more than that when the king gets through with you. He’s a mad as a Hippowdon with a hernia.** ”  
Giovanni snapped his fingers to get Persians’ attention away from the Ratattas' hole. “ **Ooh, I quiver with fear…** ”  
Tracey stepped back, concerned as the large cat-like Pokémon turned menacingly towards him, hissing slightly. “ **Now, Giovanni, call it back…** ” Persian pounced, slamming Tracey to the floor and growled hungrily. “ **Help!** ” Tracey cried.

“ **Giovanni?** ” A voice boomed through the small room. “ **Call it back. Now.** ”  
Tracey grunted as the Persian released him, stepping not-so-delicately onto his stomach. “ **Impeccable timing, Your Majesty.** ” Tracey stood and after briefly wiping the dirt from the back of his shorts, he stood by King Samuel.  
Giovanni recalled Persian into his Pokéball, and turned towards the newcomer. “ **Well, if it isn’t my big brother, descending from on high to mingle with the commoners…** ”  
Samuel frowned at Giovanni. “ **Delia and I didn’t see you at the presentation of Ash.** ”  
Giovanni feigned shock, and glanced at his calendar, which was clearly unmarked. “ **That was today? I feel simply awful!** ” he almost spat with barely concealed sarcasm. “ **Must have slipped my mind…** ”  
Tracey grunted. “ **Yes, well, as slippery as your mind is, as the king’s brother, you should have been first in line!** ”  
Giovanni’s hand noticeably twitched towards Persians’ Pokéball, and Tracey stepped back, not wanting a repeat of his earlier embarrassment. “ **Well, I was first in line, until the little bastard was born.** ”

Samuel stepped forward; hand carefully placed on the Pokéball all knew contained his high-levelled Blastoise. “ **That ‘bastard’, as you put it, is my son, and your future king.** ”  
Giovanni slowly lowered his hand and turned away in contempt. “ **I shall practice my curtsy…** ” he muttered as he started to leave.  
“ **Don’t turn your back on me, Giovanni!** ” Samuel warned.  
Giovanni looked back and glared. “ **Oh, no, Samuel. Perhaps you shouldn’t turn your back on me.** ”  
A roar filled the room, and Giovanni looked back to see Blastoise next to a very unamused Samuel. “ **Is that a challenge?** ” Samuel asked calmly, and yet clearly angered by his brothers’ behaviour.  
Giovanni stepped back and slowly shook his head. “ **Temper, temper. I wouldn’t dream of challenging you.** ”  
Tracey scoffed. “ **Pity. Why not?** ”  
Giovanni turned towards the teenage boy and smirked. “ **Well, as far as brain’s go, I got the lion’s share. But when it comes to brute strength…** ” he looked back towards his older brother and the growling Blastoise. “ **…I’m afraid I’m at the shallow end of the gene pool.** ” With that, Giovanni walked away, seemingly calm, but inwardly fuming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	2. Everything?

**_10 years later._**  
The young black haired boy woke up extra early that day, and rushed to the window. The first weak light of dawn was just starting to creep over the horizon, and he grinned. Rushing to get dressed, he dashed out to his parents’ room, not even worried about who he might wake up along the way. “ **Dad! Dad!** ” he opened the door to his parents room and crept in. “ **Come on dad, we gotta go! Wake up!** ”  
His mother, Delia, groaned and turned over. “ **Your son is awake…** ”  
Samuel grunted and covered his eyes with his arm. “ **Before sunrise, he’s your son…** ”  
Ash frowned. “ **Come on dad! You promised!** ” he tugged on his father’s arm and shook it forcibly, glaring into Samuel’s face as he sleepily opened one eye.  
Samuel sighed. “ **Okay, okay. I’m up, I’m up…** ”  
Ash grinned and dashed out of the room to get ready. “ **Yeah!** ”  
Samuel yawned and stretched, wondering if this kid would ever slow down…  
Ash jogged on the spot as he waited for his parents to finish getting dressed.  
Finally, Samuel and Delia walked downstairs, yawning widely.  
“ **Finally!** ” Ash quickly kissed his mother on the cheek and dashed out of the front door. “ **Hurry up, dad!** ”  
Delia smiled as Samuel slowly walked after the young boy, still yawning. 

The two walked up towards the large building. Samuel unlocked the door, and Ash almost ran in, excitement barely contained. Samuel led Ash to a room and showed him a darkened map. Pressing a switch, the map lit up, showing the incredible amount of detail that had gone into its creation. “ **Look, Ash. Everything the light touches is our kingdom.** ”  
Ash stared in awe. “ **Wow…** ”  
Samuel smiled, and continued. “ **A king’s time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Ash, the sun will set on my time as ruler here, and will rise with you as the new king.** ”  
Ash looked back at the map. “ **And this will all be mine?** ”  
Samuel placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “ **Everything.** ”  
Ash looked over the map, amazed at his future inheritance. “ **Everything the light touches…** ” He then noticed the large shadowy area near the border of the map. “ **But… What about that dark place there?** ” 

Samuel frowned. “ **That’s beyond our borders. You must never go there, Ash.** ”  
Ash looked confused. “ **But, I thought a king can do whatever he wants.** ”  
Samuel smiled. “ **Oh, there’s more to being king than getting your way all the time.** ”  
Ash looked stunned. “ **There’s more?** ”  
Samuel laughed and turned the map off. “ **Ash...!** ” he admonished the child half-heartedly. Samuel led the boy to large a nearby window, helping him to get a better view by lifting him up and standing him on a chair, grunting slightly with the effort. “ **Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the burrowing Durant, to the stampeding Tauros.** ”  
Ash looked out at the teeming wildlife and shook his head. “ **But… dad, don’t we eat the Tauros?** ” he asked, more confused than ever.  
Samuel smiled fondly at his son. “ **Yes, Ash, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the Tauros eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.** ”

As Ash pondered over these words, there was a knock on the door.  
“ **Enter!** ” Samuel nodded as Tracey walked in.  
“ **Good morning, sire!** ”  
“ **Good morning, Tracey.** ”  
Tracey smiled at Ash, who was still deep in thought. “ **So, looking forward to getting a Pokémon?** ”  
Ash’s head darted up and he grinned madly. “ **Yeah, you betcha!** ”  
Samuel laughed. “ **Okay, well, in that case… Tracey, if you would be so kind.** ”  
Tracey nodded and pulled a Pokéball from his pocket. “ **This one has been waiting for you for quite some time.** ”  
Ash stared with joy as Tracey placed the Pokéball into his outstretched hand. Almost vibrating with excitement, and called the Pokémon out. “ **Pokéball, go!** ”  
With a flash of bright light, a small yellow mouse appeared, shook it’s head, and look at him. “ **Pikachu?** ”  
Ash grinned madly at it. “ **Hiya, I’m Ash. Let’s be friends!** ”

As Samuel and Tracey watched the boy become acquainted with his new Pokémon, Tracey filled Samuel in on the latest reports in from the kingdom. This didn’t go smoothly however, as one of Pikachu’s practice Thundershocks went awry, and hit Tracey squarely on the butt, causing him to shriek in pain. But, after making sure that there was no harm done, Tracey continued with his reports of various trainers defeating Gym Leaders. Suddenly, a loud thump on the window interrupted them. They turned to see that a Pidgey had flown into it, partly blinded due to the large envelope in its beak. Samuel opened the window as Tracey retrieved the envelope.  
As Samuel checked that the Pidgey was unharmed, and released it back outside the window, Tracey opened the envelope and quietly read the notice, his expression quickly changing from curiosity to alarm. “ **Sire! Rockets! Poaching Pokémon in the grasslands!** ”  
Samuel slammed the window shut and rushed to the door. “ **Tracey! Take Ash home!** ”  
Ash grabbed hold of Pikachu and groaned. “ **Aw, dad… can’t I come?** ”  
Samuel shook his head as he walked out. “ **No son.** ”  
Ash sighed. “ **I never get to go anywhere…** ”  
Tracey smiled as he led the boy back outside. “ **Oh, young master… One day, you will be king. Then you can chase those greedy, mangy, stupid poachers from dawn until dusk.** ”

Giovanni paced in his office, frustrated. ‘ _How am I going to take my rightful place as king when that spoiled little brat is around?!_ ’ He kicked a trash bin aside and continued pacing. ‘ _If only something…_ ’ He turned as the door burst open, and Ash dashed in with a Pikachu on his shoulder.  
“ **Hey, Uncle Giovanni! Guess what?** ”  
Giovanni’s lip curled with barely disguised disgust. “ **I despise guessing games…** ”  
Ash strutted slightly as he neared Giovanni’s desk. “ **I’m gonna be the King of Kanto one day.** ”  
Giovanni rolled his eyes. “ **Oh, goody.** ” He snarked, anger simmering at the audacity in this little…  
“ **My dad just showed me the whole kingdom, and I’m gonna ruulle it all!** ” Ash continued, oblivious to his uncle’s displeasure.  
Giovanni settled in his chair and pulled some papers toward him. “ **Yes. Well, forgive me for not jumping for joy. Bad back, you know…** ”  
Ash came around the side of the desk. “ **Hey, Uncle Giovanni. When I’m king, what’ll that make you?** ”  
Giovanni sighed. “ **A Mankey’s uncle.** ” he muttered, just wanting the boy to leave already.  
Ash giggled childishly. “ **You’re so weird.** ”  
Giovanni glared down at him. “ **You have no idea.** ”

A thought occurred to Giovanni, and he smiled cunningly at Ash. “ **So, your father showed you the whole kingdom, did he?** ”  
Ash nodded. “ **Everything.** ”  
Giovanni stood and went to the window. “ **He didn’t show you what lies in the place of shadows beyond the border?** ”  
Ash’s face fell, and he stared at the floor. “ **Well, no. He said I can’t go there…** ”  
Giovanni smiled inwardly, and feigned an expression of concern. “ **And he’s absolutely right. It’s far too dangerous. Only the bravest of trainers go there.** ”  
Ash’s head shot up, curious. “ **Well, I’m brave. What’s out there?** ”  
Giovanni turned and sat back down. “ **I’m sorry, Ash. I just can’t tell you.** ”  
Ash bounced on the spot. “ **Why not?** ” he whined.  
Giovanni smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “ **I’m only looking out for the well-being of my favourite nephew.** ”  
Ash scoffed. “ **Yeah, right! I’m you’re only nephew.** ”  
Giovanni faked a look of affront. “ **All the more reason for me to be protective. A Pokémon graveyard is no place for a young prince… Oops!** ” 

Giovanni put his hand over his mouth to cover the smirk as Ash’s face lit up. ‘ _This is almost too easy…_ ’  
“ **A Pokémon what? Whoa!** ” Ash had an expression of pure thrill at the thought of this unexplored place.  
Giovanni pretended to be annoyed at himself. “ **Oh dear, I’ve said too much… Well, I supposed you’d have found out sooner or later, you being so clever and all.** ”  
Ash turned to leave, excited, and Giovanni placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.  
‘ _Now to make sure that if he survives to tell anyone I told him, it’ll look like an accidental slip of the tongue…_ ’ “ **Just do me one favour. Promise me you’ll never visit that dreadful place.** ”  
Ash glanced out the window towards the shadowy graveyard, and nodded. “ **…No problem…** ”  
Giovanni knew quite well that the boy had no intention of keeping that promise. “ **There’s a good lad. Now, you run along and have fun. And remember, it’s our little secret…** ” Giovanni stood at the window and waited until he saw Ash dashing out of the building below before he allowed himself to laugh. ‘ _Far too easy._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	3. Betrothed?

Ash dashed along the road until he reached his best friend’s house. “ **Hey, Misty!** ”  
A red-hair girl poked her head out of a window. “ **Hi, Ash. Hey, you have a Pokémon!** ”  
Ash let himself into the kitchen, as Misty walked in, hair still damp from a shower. “ **Yep, I just got it this morning.** ” He exclaimed proudly as Misty scratched beneath Pikachus' chin, the Pokémon cooing happily. “ **Anyway, come on. I just heard about this great place.** ” He sidled up and whispered.  
“ **Ash, I’m kinda busy right now.” Misty whispered back. “ **I’m supposed to be cleaning my room…**** ” she sighed.  
“ **And you should probably start on yours…** ”  
Ash turned and finally noticed his mother sitting at the coffee table, quietly sipping a cup with Misty’s mother. “ **Aww, mum! I can do it tomorrow…** ”  
Misty rolled her eyes, knowing that he could put it off forever if he wanted to. “ **So, where are we going? It better not be anyplace dumb.** ”  
Ash turned back to her. “ **No, it’s really cool.** ”  
Delia smiled. “ **So, where is this ‘really cool’ place?** ”  
Ash froze, and desperately thought about what to say. “ **Oh… Uh, around the swimming hole.** ”  
Misty crossed her arms, not amused. “ **The swimming hole? What’s so great about the swimming hole that we haven't already seen?** ”  
Ash glared at her. “ **I’ll show you when we get there…** ”  
Misty could see the mischief in her oldest friend’s eyes, and knew what he was trying to tell her. Trouble was afoot, and she wanted in. “ **Uh, mum, can I go with Ash?** ”  
Daisy put down her tea and glanced at Delia. “ **Hmm, what do you think, Delia?** ”  
“ **Welll…** ”  
Ash and Misty both put on their sweetest, cutest faces. “ **Pleeassee?** ”  
Delia smiled. “ **It’s alright with me.** ”  
“ **Yeah!” “ **Allright!**** ” Ash and Misty cheered and Misty grabbed her bag from a nearby hook.  
“ **Come on, Azurill!** ” she cried to her Pokémon as it bounced up beside her.  
“ **As long as Tracey goes with you.** ” Delia added.  
The two kids froze in their dash for the door. “ **No, not Tracey…** ”

“ **Step lively. The sooner we get to the swimming hole, the sooner we can leave.** ” Tracey walked ahead, eyes scanning both sides of the path for danger, as the two kids walked slowly behind him.  
“ **So, where are we really going?** ” Misty whispered, keeping one eye on their chaperone for any sign that he could hear them.  
“ **A Pokémon graveyard.** ” Ash whispered back.  
“ **Wow**!” Misty exclaimed, prompting Ash to shush her as Tracey glanced back. “ **Sorry… So, how are we gonna ditch the babysitter?** ”  
“ **I dunno… I was hoping you’d think of something…** ”  
Misty sighed and started whispering ideas.  
Tracey glanced back. “ **Oh, just look at you two.** ” He turned and wandered back to them. “ **Little seeds of romance blossoming in the forest. Your parents will be thrilled.** ”  
Ash and Misty glance at each other, confused.  
“ **What with you being betrothed and all.** ”  
“ **Be-what?** ” Ash asked.  
Tracey smiled. “ **Betrothed. Intended. Affianced.** ”  
Misty leaned closer. “ **Meaning…** ”  
Tracey grinned at the two confused naïve kids. “ **One day, you two are going to be married.** ”

Ash and Misty both looked disgusted. “ **Yuck!** ”  
“ **Eww! Gross!** ”  
Ash shook his head, horrified. “ **I can’t marry her. She’s my best friend.** ”  
Misty nodded, equally sickened. “ **Yeah, it’d be soo weird.** ”  
Tracey grunted. “ **Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you two turtle doves have no choice. It’s a tradition going back generations.** ”  
Ash smirked at his friend. “ **Well, when I’m king, that’ll be the first thing to go.** ”  
Misty nodded in agreement.  
Tracey frowned. “ **Not so long as I’m around.** ”  
Ash stuck his tongue out. “ **Well, in that case, you’re fired.** ”  
Tracey scoffed. “ **Nice try, but only the king can do that.** ”  
Misty crossed her arms. “ **Well, he’s the future king.** ”  
Ash nodded. “ **Yeah, so you have to do what I tell you.** ”  
Tracey smiled. “ **Not yet, I don’t. And with an attitude like that, I’m afraid you’re shaping up to be a pretty pathetic king, indeed.** ”  
Ash glared. “ **Not the way I see it…** ”  
Tracey shook his head. “ **Whatever, Ash. Now, are we going to the swimming hole, or not?** ”  
Misty glanced at Ash and winked. “ **Hey, Tracey! Why is that Pidgey green?** ”  
Tracey glanced back at her, distracted. “ **Well, that usually means that it’s shi… Wait! Where?!** ” He whipped around, trying to find this rare Pokémon.  
Misty pointed in a random direction. “ **It was heading that way!** ” Tracey dashed off, pulling a sketchbook out as he went, as Ash and Misty ran away in the opposite direction, laughing at how easily he was tricked.

“ **All right, it worked!** ” Ash grinned as they stopped to catch their breaths.  
“ **We lost him.** ” Misty grinned back.  
“ **I am a genius.** " Ash smirked.  
Misty frowned. “ **Hey, genius, it was my idea.** ”  
Ash smiled sweetly at her. “ **Yeah, but I pulled it off.** ”  
“ **With my help!** ” Misty glared back.  
“ **Oh yeah?!** ” Ash growled.  
The two playfully tackled each other, but Misty swung her leg around in a sweep that floored Ash. She leapt onto him and started tickling him as Pikachu and Azurill watched, confused at their behaviour. “ **Ha! Pinned ya!** ” Misty gloated.  
Ash wiggled, attempting to escape. “ **Hey, no fair, I wasn’t ready! Let me up!** ” he cried.  
Misty got up, and turned her back, looking pleased with herself. Ash couldn’t resist, and tackled her again, knocking them both down a slope. Misty once again managed to pin Ash, and tickled him. “ **Admit defeat!** ”  
“ **Never!** ” Ash cried through his laughter.

A large burst of steam from a nearby vent distracted them, and they got up as Pikachu slid down the slope and climbed onto Ash's shoulder, Azurill hopping down and peeking out from behind Misty’s leg. They stared at the large tower in front of them, and Ash grinned. “ **This is it. We made it.** ”  
The two cautiously entered the building, and stepped into a room full of headstones and grave markers. “ **Whoa!** ” They both exclaimed.  
“ **It’s really creepy…** ” Misty looked around, running her fingers along the top of a stone.  
“ **Yeah. Isn’t it great?** ” Ash smirked.  
“ **We could get in big trouble.** ” Misty glanced back at the entrance.  
“ **I know.** " Ash shrugged. " **You scared?** ” he smirked.  
“ **No.** " Misty scoffed. " **I wonder if the bones are stored here?** ” she wondered out loud as Ash wandered over to the stairs.  
“ **There’s only one way to know. Come on, let’s go check it out.** ”

“ **Wrong! The only checking out you will do will be to check out of here.** ” Tracey ran in, out of breath and looking furious.  
“ **Oh, man!** ” Ash groaned. ‘ _I thought we ditched him…_ ’  
“ **We’re waay beyond the boundaries of the kingdom…** ” Tracey looked around, visibly concerned as he tried to usher the two out of the building. They dodged him and laughed.  
Ash smirked. “ **Look, Misty. Sketchit is scared.** ”  
Tracey glared at him. “ **That’s Mr. Sketchit to you, twerp, and right now we are all in very real danger.** ”  
Ash strutted towards the stairs again. “ **Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger! Hahahaha!** ” he was shocked when his laughed was answered by another, and he quickly rushed back to where Tracey and Misty were standing.

Two shadows converged on the room, one from the stairs and one from the entrance. As they stepped into the light, they were revealed to be two young adults in white uniforms with large red R’s on the front of their shirts. “ **Well, well, well, James, what have we got here?** ” The woman asked, leaning casually on a headstone.  
“ **I don’t know, Jessie. But it seems like a trio of trespassers!** ” he growled as he joined her, sitting on the adjacent headstone.  
A flash of light revealed a Wobbuffet, which promptly join the other two as they moved towards the group. “ **Wob-buffet!** ”  
Tracey stammered as the two Rockets drew near. “ **And quite by accident, let me assure you. A simple navigational error.** ”  
Misty nudged Ash and flicked her eyes towards the now unguarded door. James noticed and leapt in front of them, causing Misty to let out a small squeal as they rushed back to Traceys’ side.

“ **Whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait…** ” Jessie stood up. “ **I know you. You’re the king’s little stooge.** ”  
Tracey recovered from his fear briefly to look insulted. “ **I, madam, am the king’s right-hand man.** ”  
James smirked at Ash. “ **And that would make you…** ”  
Ash glared back. “ **The future king!** ”  
Jessie laughed at the boy’s attempt at bravery. “ **Do you know what we do to kings who step out of their kingdom?** ”  
Ash scoffed. “ **Huh! You can’t do anything to me.** ”  
Tracey nudged him. “ **Uh, technically, they can. We are on their land.** ”  
Ash looked shocked. “ **But Tracey, you told me they’re nothing but greedy, mangy, stupid poachers.** ”  
Tracey looked horrified and leaned over to Ash. “ **Ix-nay on the upid-stay…** ”  
“ **Who are you calling upid-stay?!** ” James growled as he grabbed Tracey’s shirt menacingly.  
Tracey laughed nervously and worked to free himself. “ **My, my, my. Oh, look at the time! It’s time to go. Early bed time and all, you understand…** ”  
Jessie and James moved to block the door, releasing Tracey’s shirt in the process. “ **What’s the hurry? We’d love you to stick around, look at the headstones… pick out one you like…** ” she added, an evil smirk on her face and James laughed beside her.  
“ **Yeah, it’d save time later.** ” The two cackled evilly, not noticing Misty almost dragging the two boys towards the stairs.  
“ **Wob! Wobba! Wob!** ”  
Jessie frowned. “ **What do you want, you blue blob?** ”  
James looked around at the room. “ **Hey Jessie, where’d they go?** ”  
“ **Wob!** ” Wobbuffet pointed towards the stairs.  
“ **After them!** ” Jessie shrieked.

Tracey panted as the two kids disappeared ahead of him on the stairs. He could hear the two Rockets pounding up the stairs behind him, and in desperation, hid behind a headstone. He desperately tried to calm his breathing as they entered the room, and slowly scanned it with a torch.  
Jessie nudged James, put a finger to her lips and then pointed to the stairs. “ **They’re not here, James. Let’s try the next floor.** ”  
“ **Okay, Jessie.** ” James made a show of stomping up the stairs while Jessie waited quietly in the dark.  
After a minute, Tracey breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. “ **I’ve gotta get help…** ” he muttered as he turned… and found himself face to face with Jessie.  
“ **Gotcha! James!** ” she called. James returned and helped restrain Tracey, who struggled as the two tried his hands behind his back, dragged him over to the narrow window and threw him out.  
Meanwhile, Ash and Misty climbed the tower, looking for a place to hide. “ **Did we lose them?** ” Misty panted.  
“ **I think so…** ” Ash half bent, exhausted and cautiously looked around the stairwell. “ **Wait… where’s Tracey?** ”  
It was then that they heard a short scream, followed by loud laughter. “ **We’ve gotta go back for him!** ” Ash cried, rushing back down the stairs.  
“ **Ash, wait!** ” Misty cried as she recalled Azurill into her Pokéball.

The two crept back down the stairs to see Jessie and James standing by the window, leaning out as they taunted Tracey.  
Ash’s gut wrenched as he realised that Tracey had been thrown out of the window because he had insisted on coming to this place… “ **Hey, why don’t you pick on somebody your own size?!** ” he yelled at the Rockets as he left the shelter of the stairs.  
Jessie and James turned and smirked at him. “ **Liikke… You?** ” Jessie grinned nastily.  
Ash gulped as he stepped back towards the staircase. “ **Oops…** ” Ash and Misty turned and darted back up the stairs, leapt over headstones and narrowly dodging the Rockets' outstretched hands several times as they ran to the next flight of stairs.  
“ **Ash!** ” he turned to see that Misty had tripped on the steps, giving the older redhead a chance to catch up and Jessie had a hold of her arm. Ash darted down, grabbed a stone and heaved it at Jessie, hitting her on the cheek and drawing blood.  
Jessie let go of Misty and whipped out a mirror. “ **My face! How dare you!** ” she screamed, as Ash grabbed Misty and almost pulled her up the stairs.

Ash and Misty skidded to a halt with horror, as they’d reached the top of the tower, and the only way out was now blocked by two very angry Rockets. “ **This is bad…** ”  
“ **You’re gonna pay for that you little twerp!** ” Jessie panted. “ **And I’m gonna start with your scrawny girlfriends’ face!** ”  
Ash pushed Pikachu into Misty’s arms and stood before her protectively. “ **You leave her alone!** ” he shouted, his voice squeaking slightly.  
Jessie laughed as Ash blushed. “ **Ooh, what a brave little girl… But I don’t think I heard you right. Why don’t you ask me again?** ”  
Ash saw a familiar shadow in the doorway and grinned. “ **I said, Leave. Us. Alone!** ”  
A flash of light caused Jessie and James to turn, and come face to face with a Charizard. As the two trembled with fear, Tracey limped up and pulled the two kids off to the side, and further away from the cowering Rockets. “ **Are you both okay?** ” he asked, giving them both a quick look.  
Misty gave Tracey a quick hug, causing him to groan painfully, as Ash nodded. “ **What about you? They threw you out of the window, right?** ”  
Misty released her grip on Tracey as he panted and held his left side. “ **Yeah, and I think I’ve busted a rib… But I managed to get free of the rope, and called for help.**

Ash watched as his father stepped forwards and approached the now subdued Rockets. “ **Oh, please, please! Uncle, uncle!** ” they begged.  
“ **SILENCE!** ” Samuel shouted, causing everyone in the room to flinch.  
“ **We’re gonna shut up right now!** ” James whimpered.  
“ **Calm down. We’re really sorry…** ” Jessie cringed.  
“ **If you ever come near my son again…** ” Samuel started.  
“ **Oh this is… This is your son?** ” Jessie giggled nervously. “ **Did you know that?** ” she glanced at James, who shook his head furiously.  
“ **No. Me? I didn’t know… No, did you?** ” James stammered.  
“ **No, of course not!** ” Jessie squealed.  
Just then, Wobbuffet choose to come out of his Pokéball.  
“ **Did you know?** ” the two asked it.  
Wobbuffet saluted and proudly nodded. “ **Wobbu. Wob-buffet!** ”  
Charizard roared, and the trio bolted for the stairs, Jessie recalling Wobbuffet as she went. “ **Toodles!** ” James shouted as he almost fell down the stairs in his haste to get away.

Ash stepped forward nervously, knowing that his father was angry. “ **Dad, I…** ”  
Samuel glared down at Ash. “ **You deliberately disobeyed me.** ”  
Ash dropped his head in shame as his eyes started to sting. “ **Dad, I’m… I’m sorry…** ”  
Samuel turned away, recalled Charizard and walked towards the stairs. “ **Let’s go home.** ”  
Tracey looked pityingly at Ash as the group slowly made their way back down the tower. Misty placed her hand on Ash’s shoulder. “ **I thought you were very brave…** ” she whispered. Somehow, it didn’t make him feel any better.

“ **Tracey!** ” Samuel called, pausing on the path.  
Tracey rushed forwards and gave a slight bow. “ **Yes, Sire?** ”  
Samuel glanced back at the two kids behind them. “ **Take Misty and Pikachu home. I’ve got to teach my son a lesson.** ”  
Ash gulped, and half hid behind Misty. Misty opened her mouth to tell him it’ll probably be okay, but stopped as Tracey stepped in front of them.  
“ **Come, Misty. Ash…** ” he placed a hand on Ash’s shoulder, glancing back at the king as he did so. “ **Good luck.** ”  
Ash watched as Misty reluctantly followed Tracey, looking back at Ash and holding Pikachu as he tried to return to him as she did so. “ **You probably don’t want to see this…** ” she whispered to the small, worried Pokémon. Pikachu stopped struggling and sighed sadly.

“ **Ash!** ” Samuel called, making Ash flinch.  
Ash sighed, and cautiously stepped forward, terrified of what punishment his father had in store for him…  
As Ash stood next to his father, Samuel sighed. “ **Ash, I’m very disappointed in you.** ”  
Ash sighed, close to tears. “ **I know…** ”  
“ **You could have been killed. You deliberately disobeyed me, and what’s worse, you put Misty in danger!** ”  
Ash sobbed, and covered his face with his arm. “ **I was just trying to be brave, like you…** ” he whispered.  
Samuel shook his head. “ **I’m only brave when I have to be. Ash…** ” he sighed. “ **Being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble.** ”  
Ash wiped his face. “ **But, you’re not scared of anything.** ”  
Samuel sighed deeply, and looked towards the lights of the town. “ **I was today.** ”  
Ash blinked, stunned. “ **You were?** ”  
Samuel nodded. “ **Yes. I thought I might lose you.** ” He bent down and gave Ash a hug.  
Ash hugged him back. “ **Oh. I guess even Kings get scared, huh?** ”  
Samuel smiled and released him. “ **Mm-hmm.** ”  
Ash leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “ **But you know what?** ”  
“ **What?** ” Samuel whispered back, curiously leaning in as well.  
“ **I think those Rockets were even scareder.** ”  
Samuel laughed. “ **Cos nobody messes with your dad. Come here you!** ”

Ash shrieked with laughter as Samuel grabbed him and tickled him furiously. “ **Ah!, No, no!. Stop! That’s tickles!** ”  
Ash wiggled away, ran a short distance before turning and tackling his dad. “ **Gotcha!** ” he started tickling him, and if anybody had walked past at that moment, they would have been stunned to find the king lying in the dirt, laughing helplessly as he was tickled by a small boy. As their laughter died down, they relaxed and laid back in the dirt. Ash sighed. “ **Dad?** ”  
Samuel looked over at his son. “ **Hmm?** ”  
“ **We’re pals, right?** ” Ash asked, glancing over.  
Samuel nodded. “ **Right.** ”  
“ **And we’ll always be together, right?** ” Ash smiled.  
Samuel sighed. ‘ _How am I going to explain this to him?_ ’ “ **Ash. Let me tell you something that my father told me. Look at the stars.** ”  
Ash looked up, wondering where his father was going with this.  
“ **The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars.** ”  
Ash looked up at all of the pinpoints of light, too many to count. “ **Really?** ”  
Samuel nodded. “ **Yes. So, whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you.** ” He looked down at his son, pulling him into a hug. “ **And so will I.** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	4. Be Prepared

In a cave not far from the graveyard, two annoyed voices could be heard…  
“ **Man, that lousy Oak and his stupid Charizard… I won’t be able to sit for a week.** ” James complained, rubbing his backside before gingerly easing himself down onto a nearby rock.  
“ **Wob-buffet!** ” The blue Pokémon called out, happily.  
James grunted. “ **It’s not funny, you blob.** ”  
“ **Wobba!** ”  
“ **Hey, shut up!** ” James stood up, ready to pound the perpetually happy blob.  
“ **Will you knock it off?!** ” Jessie yelled, glancing away from her mirror briefly before returning to examining her face. “ **Some of us have more important things to worry about…** ” she ran a gloved finger along the scratch, wincing slightly. ‘ _I’m gonna kill that kid…_ ’  
“ **Well, he started it!** ” James pointed at Wobbuffet, who happily saluted.  
“ **Look at you guys.** ” Jessie finally put her mirror away, and walked over to her companions. “ **No wonder we’re dangling at the bottom of the food chain…** ”  
“ **Man, I hate dangling…** ” James grunted as he pushed a strand of hair away from his face, which promptly fell down again.  
“ **Yeah? If it wasn’t for those goody-two-shoes trainers, we’d be running the joint.** ” She sat down next to Wobbuffet, pushing the affectionate blue blob away as she did so.  
“ **Man, I hate goody-two-shoes trainers…** ” James whined as he once again attempted to settle himself down comfortably.  
“ **So pushy.** ” Jessie muttered.  
“ **And stupid…** ” James added, giving up on sitting for now.  
“ **And twerpy…** ” Jessie grinned at James.  
“ **And man are they, ugglly!** ” The two finished in unison. “ **Not gorgeous, like us.** ” Jessie preened.  
“ **Oh, surely we trainers are not all that bad…** ”

Jessie, James and Wobbuffet jumped in fright as the tall shadowy figure walked towards them. “ **Oh. Hi boss. We can explain…** ” Jessie stammered.  
“ **Don’t bother. I already know that you failed in the simple task of killing a small, unarmed, idiotic child.** ” Giovanni looked around at the cave with disgust.  
“ **But, boss… It’s like this…** ” James started.  
Giovanni glared at him, and James immediately fell silent. “ **Why do I even bother with you idiots. I practically gift-wrapped those kids for you, and you couldn’t even dispose of them.** ”  
“ **But, it wasn’t exactly like they were alone, sir.** ” Jessie simpered.  
James nodded. “ **Yeah. What were we supposed to do? Kill Oak?** ”  
Giovanni gave a rare, genuine smile. Genuinely evil, that is. “ **Precisely.** ”

The grunts stared blankly at him. “ **Huh?** ”  
Giovanni started pacing the floor of the cave, as his brilliant plan came together in his mind. “ **Yes… Be prepared…** ”  
“ **Be prepared? For what?** ” James asked, confused.  
“ **For the death of the king.** ” Giovanni smirked.  
“ **Why, is he sick?** ” James still didn’t get it. Jessie, however, gasped as the gears clicked into place.  
“ **No, fool, we’re gonna kill him.** ” Giovanni chuckled, confirming Jessie’s suspicion. “ **And Ash, too.** ”  
Jessie grinned darkly. ‘ _Perfect._ ’  
“ **Ohhh.** ” James giggled girlishly.  
“ **Great idea. Who needs a king?** ” Jessie added smiling evilly as she tried to keep on her boss’s good side.  
“ **Idiots! There WILL be a king!** ” The dark-suited man growled at the stupid people under his command.  
“ **Hey… but you said…** ” the look of confusion hit James again.  
“ **I will be king! Stick with me, and you’ll never go hungry again!** ” Giovanni threw his arms up as other rockets, wearing black uniforms and attracted by the noise, came out of hiding.  
“ **Long live the king!** ” The chant was taken up, and Giovanni basked in this facsimile of glory. ‘ _Soon, all of Kanto will bow down to me!_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _.she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	5. Terror and Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I always cry during this part of the movie...  
> This one part took the most time to write, because I kept putting it off.

**_A Week Later:_**  
Giovanni led his nephew to the spot he had quickly decided was the best place to make everything look like a complete accident. Grampa Canyon, the largest gorge in the kingdom, and exactly the kind of place where a curious child with their first Pokémon might decide to investigate without alerting anyone…  
“ **Now, you wait here.** ” He pushed Ash towards a large rock in the middle of the canyon floor. “ **You father has a marvellous surprise for you.** ”  
“ **Ooh, what is it?** ” Ash asked, standing back up again, excited.  
Giovanni pushed him back down onto the rock. “ **If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?** ”  
Ash grinned. “ **If you tell me, I’ll still act surprised…** ”  
Giovanni, looking forward to finally being rid of this annoying brat of a child, faked a chuckle. “ **You are such a naughty boy.** ”  
Ash leaned forward. “ **Come on, Uncle Giovanni…** ”  
Giovanni shook his head and glanced at his watch. “ **No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is just for you and your daddy. You know, a sort of father-son… thing.** ” He turned to leave. “ **Well, I’d better go get him.** ”  
Ash jumped away from the rock. “ **I’ll go with you.** ”  
Giovanni quickly turned and pushed Ash forcibly back onto the rock. “ **No!** ” He forced a smile and patted the boy on the shoulder. “ **No. Just, stay on this rock. You wouldn’t want to end up in another mess like you did with the Rockets…** ”  
Ash gasped, and his face fell. “ **You know about that?** ”  
Giovanni looked away and sighed. “ **Ash, everybody knows about that.** ”  
“ **Really?** ” Ash sighed as a blush crept across his face.  
“ **Oh, yes. Lucky daddy was there to save you, eh?** ” Giovanni smirked as Ash hung his head, embarrassed. “ **Oh, and just between us, you might want to work on that manly shout of yours, hmm?** ”  
Ash sighed. “ **Oh, ok…** ” he reached up to his shoulder and rubbed Pikachu beneath the chin as Giovanni turned and walked away. “ **Hey, Uncle Giovanni? Will I like this surprise?** ”  
Giovanni paused briefly, and grinned. “ **Ash, it’s to die for…** ”

Above the canyon wall, Jessie and James waited in the shadows of a rock formation, concealed from prying eyes, as a loud growl was heard.  
“ **Shut up, James…** ” Jessie hissed.  
James held his stomach. “ **I can’t help it, Jessie… I’m so hungry… I could eat one of them…** ” he gestured over at the large herd grazing nearby. Made up of several Pokémon species, including Tauros, Miltank, Blitzle and Zebstrika, it was the largest single herd of Pokémon in the kingdom, and a major source of food.  
Jessie grabbed him arm and forced him back down. “ **Stay put, James.** ”  
“ **Can’t I just…** ” he started to whine. Jessie’s glare stopped him short.  
“ **No. We wait for the signal from the boss.** ” she stared at him until he sighed, defeated.  
A flash of light caught their attention, and Jessie’s face seemed to tighten as she prepared herself. “ **There it is. Let’s go.** ”

 ** _Meanwhile…_**  
Ash sat on the rock, kicking his legs impatiently. “ **Huh. My voice is manly… I’ll show them.** ” he yelled, flinching as a squeak slipped through. “ **I’m gonna be a Pokémon Master!** ” he tried again. This time, it echoed around the canyon walls, and he was quite pleased with the result.  
A strange rumbling noise caught his attention, and as he looked around confused, his eyes were drawn to the canyon wall above…  
As Jessie and James sent their Pokémon out, the herd panicked, and lost sight of their surroundings. Desperately trying to escape the snaps of the jaws of Jessie’s Arbok, and the choking cloud of gas from James’ Weezing, they stampeded down the side of the canyon, shaking the ground as a thousand terrified hoofs pounded the rock.  
Ash stared, wide-eyed as the herd poured down the sloping wall of the canyon, not quite believing what he was seeing. Pikachu slapped him across the back of the head, snapping him out of it, and Ash turned and started running for his very life.

On the cliff, some distance away from the canyon, Tracey and Samuel were calmly wandering along a path, returning from a brief trip attending to a dispute amongst two rival families. “ **Oh, look, Sire… The herd is on the move.** ”  
Samuel looked towards where Tracey was pointing. “ **Odd…** ” Samuel mused. “ **It’s not the right time of year for that…** ”  
“ **Samuel, quick!** ” The two watched as Giovanni ran up the path, pausing to catch his breath. “ **Stampede, in the canyon… Ash is down there!** ”  
Samuel’s face whitened as he started running towards the canyon, Tracey right behind him. “ **Ash!** ” Giovanni’s lips curled in what might have been a smile as he followed.

Ash and Pikachu screamed as they ran, mere feet away from the lead Zebstrika. Seeing an old, dead tree ahead, the only place visible that would put him above the herd, Ash desperately climbed it, hearing the crackle of the dead bark, and hoping that his fragile refuge would last.  
As Tracey and Samuel started their climb down the wall of the canyon, Tracey sent out a Starly, which dove down to the bottom and circled above the boy and his Pikachu. “ **There he is, Sire! On that tree!** ” Tracey pointed. Samuel gasped to see his only child clinging in such a precarious situation, and knew that if they didn’t act fast, the boy would be either torn apart by the multitude of hooves rushing beneath him, or speared by the many, sharp horns of the Tauros. “ **Hold on, Ash! We’re coming!** ” Tracey shouted.  
Ash heard his named called, and looking around, saw Tracey’s Starly, circling above him. “ **Dad! Tracey! Help!** ”  
A Miltank rolled past using Rollout, and the tree gave a mighty crack. Ash screamed as he dropped lower, closer to the razor-sharp horns of a Tauros. “ **Dad!** ”  
Samuel called out his Blastoise, leapt onto it’s back, and together they rushed into the stampeding herd, relying on Blastiose’s hard shell to protect them both as they made their way towards Ash.

“ **Oh, Giovanni, this is awful!** ” Tracey moaned, not noticing the older man’s obvious enjoyment at the tragic scene below. “ **What’ll do we do? What’ll we do?! Ah! I’ll go back for help, that’s what I’ll do!** ”  
Tracey turned away, towards the cliff wall and never knew what hit him.  
Giovanni looked down at Tracey’s unconscious body. _‘You will NOT ruin this._ ’

Samuel and Blastoise made it to the tree, but were pushed away from it by the oncoming tide of large Pokémon. A rolling Miltank collided with the tree, destroying it and flinging Ash into the air, Pikachu’s arms clinging tightly to Ash’s collar. Samuel urged Blastoise towards him, and managed to catch the falling boy, who promptly threw his arms around his father. A Tauros collided with Blastoises’ belly, sliding him back, and causing Ash to once again flip through the air. Blastoise turned around, and Samuel reached down, grabbing the stunned boy by the arm, lifting him up onto the relative safety of the Water-Pokémon’s back. ‘ _I have to get him out of this…_ ’ Samuel thought, and directed Blastoise towards the nearby canyon wall.  
Samuel picked Ash up and dropped him onto the wall. “ **Climb Ash, and don’t look back!** ”  
Ash nodded, turned, and raced up the steeply sloped wall as fast as he could.

Giovanni watched with disgust as Ash slipped out of sight behind a rocky outcropping. ‘ _No! No-one escapes!_ ’  
As Samuel tried to guide Blastoise to a safe landing spot so they could both get out of the herd, a Zebstrika, panicked and confused, let loose with a mighty Discharge attack, causing great damage to Blastoise, and almost knocking Samuel into unconsciousness. He managed to hold on, and quickly recalled his fainted Blastoise into a Pokéball, tossing it towards a nearby rock ledge. Samuel picked himself up and, dodging the oncoming Pokémon, reached up and grabbed the ledge, pulling himself up above the herd.  
Giovanni watched with amusement as his brother climbed the shear wall, slipping every few feet. Samuel looked up, and saw his salvation as he struggled to hold onto the wall. “ **Giovanni! Brother. Help me!** ” he gasped as he reached up.  
Giovanni looked down at Samuel, whose fingers were slipping from the edge of the ledge. Lifting a foot, he gently brought it down upon Samuel’s fingers. “ **Long. Live. The King.** ” Giovanni whispered, as he pressed harder.  
Samuel saw the light of amusement, triumph and evil in Giovanni’s eyes, just moments before he fell back into the herd.

“ **Dad! No!** ” Ash saw his father fall, and rushed back down the rough path he had found.  
The last of the herd rushed past as Ash reached the bottom of the canyon, dropped to the floor and rushed towards the last place he had seen his father. “ **Dad!** ” He coughed, the dust rising from the canyon floor choking him.  
“ **Dad?** ” a noise startled him, and he looked around hopefully. A single Blitzle rushed out of the dust, left behind as the herd as stampeded through the canyon. It leapt around Ash, and as he watched it go, a shadow drew his attention.  
Ash nervously stepped forward, towards the broken remains of the tree that had briefly protected him, under which lay his father.

Ash quietly approached the still body of his father. “ **Dad?** ” he asked softly as he kneeled. “ **Dad, come on… You gotta get up…** ” he held the older man’s shoulder and shook it. “ **Dad?** ” he whimpered, lower lip trembling as his father’s head limply flopped. “ **We gotta go home…** ”  
Desperate for any sign of life, he resorted to the one trick he had learn from Misty that he knew no-one could ignore. Grabbing Samuel’s earlobe, he gave it a small twist, releasing quickly and stepping away. But to his horror, Samuel did not react.

Ash backed away, tears starting to stream down his face as he stood. “ **Help!** ” he yelled, looking around desperately as his voice echoed in the narrow canyon. “ **Somebody!** ” he tried to see through the dust still filling the lower part of the canyon.  
“ **Anybody… help…** ” he stopped, bursting into tears.  
Quietly, Ash returned to his father’s side, and lay down beside him, crying softly.

“ **Ash?** ” A familiar voice came through the gloom, and Ash jumped up to see his uncle Giovanni. “ **What have you done?** ”  
Ash sniffled and wiped his arm across his nose. “ **There was a stampede… and he tried to save me…** ” he looked back down at his father, feeling fresh tears coming as Pikachu gently nudged the older man’s face, cooing sadly. “ **It was an accident… I didn’t mean for it to happen…** ”  
Giovanni gently wrapped an arm around the boy, drawing him closer into a hug. “ **Of course. Of course you didn’t.** ” he crooned soothingly. “ **No-one ever means for these things to happen.** ”  
Ash held onto Giovanni’s waist, crying softly, tears soaking into the black suit already dusty from the climb down into the canyon.

“ **But the King is dead.** ”  
Ash looked up at his uncle’s face, knowing the truth, but still horrified to hear it confirmed.  
“ **And if it weren’t for you, he’d still be alive.** ” Giovanni looked down at the boy, inwardly pleased to see the look of realisation and shame in the boy’s eyes.  
Ash hung his head, tears streaming.  
‘ _Now to hammer it home…_ ’ Giovanni held back his smirk lest the boy see it.  
“ **Oh, what will your mother think?** ”  
Ash stared back up, heart breaking as he thought of his mother. He imagined the look of shame on her face as she learned her son was responsible for the death of his father. The heartbreak. The tears.

Ash sniffed, trying to catch his breath from his tightening chest. “ **What am I gonna do?** ”  
Giovanni pushed the boy away from him slightly, holding him by his heaving shoulders. “ **Run away, Ash.** ”  
Ash stepped back, terrified. He glanced over at the body of his father.  
Giovanni stepped forwards, staring the boy in the eyes. “ **Run away, and never return.** ”  
Ash, always fully trusting of his weird uncle, stared in horror. His feet, moving of their own accord, shuffled back, until finally, he turned and run down the canyon, tears flowing freely as Pikachu gave a shout and ran after him.

Giovanni looked down at the cooling body of the brother he had always despised. Behind him, through the dust, two shadowy figures moved. Giovanni didn’t even bother looking behind him, for he knew they were there.  
“ **Kill him.** ”  
The two dashed forwards with a nod, leaving Giovanni beside his brother.

Ash ran through the canyon, stopping to stare at the walls for any way up and out of this nightmare. A noise behind him drew his attention, and he saw with horror that the two Rockets were behind him. As he backed up away from them, there was a flash of light, and their Wobbuffet came out, saluting as if mocking him.  
Ash turned and scrambled up the canyon wall, reaching as far as he could and searching for any possible handhold. Behind him, he could hear the Rockets noisily begin their ascent, swearing and jeering him the entire way.

Gasping for breath, Ash reach the top of the rocky wall, and realised with horror that he was on top of a steeply sloping cliff. A glance behind him showed that Jessie and James had almost caught up to him. Panting, he started sliding down, rolling and tumbling painfully to the bottom, where he rolled straight of a small ledge into a patch of wild Cacnea.  
The small grass-types backed away from him, surprised at his unceremonious landing.  
Ash barely registered them, climbing back up onto his knees and crawling through the group.  
Pikachu landed softly behind him and leaped onto the boy’s upper back, holding on desperately.

Jessie and James dashed down the slope. James shrieked with fear as he saw the cliff end, and screeched to a halt. As he sighed with relief from the close call, he heard the scrambling and shifting of rocks behind him. “ **Oh no…** ”  
Jessie slammed into his back, both pushed closer to the edge by the impact. “ **Well that was clo…** ”  
Wobbuffet slammed into the group, the impact pushing James out and off the ledge straight into the Cacnea patch.  
“ **Yowargarg!** ” James shrieked as the Cacnea gathered around him, determined to punish the intruder this time.  
Jessie almost howled with laughter as James scrambled back onto the ledge, a Cacnea firmly wrapped around the seat of his pants.  
“ **Ahh! Ooh! Yeow!** ” James squealed as he attempted to free himself of the overly friendly grass-type.  
Jessie laughed harder, and even Wobbuffet seemed to be enjoying James’ misery.

Jessie wiped a tear from her eye and glanced out over the patch. “ **Hey, there he goes. There he goes.** ” She pointed out towards the setting sun, and the shadow of the small boy running as fast as his legs could take him.  
James finally managed to release himself from the grip of the Grass-types' stubby arms, holding it out at arm’s length. “ **So go get him…** ” he grumbled, reaching behind to check his seat for blood as the Pokemon wriggled in his other hand.  
Jessie smirked. “ **There’s no way I’m going in there. What, you want me to come out looking like you, Cacnea Butt?** ”  
“ **Wob-buffet!** ” The Pokémon cheered happily.  
James shoved the Cacnea into Wobbuffet, smirking as the blue blob finally stopped smiling. Wincing, he walked over to Jessie. “ **But, we’ve gotta finish the job…** ”  
Jessie shrugged. “ **Well, he’s as good as dead out there anyway. Wild Pokémon will probably eat the kid, if he doesn’t do something stupid and get himself killed first. And if he comes back, we’ll kill him.** ”  
James grinned. “ **Yeah! You hear that? If you ever come back, we’ll kill ya!** ” he yelled at the retreating boy, now a barely visible speck of shadow halfway to the horizon, over which lay the Johto region.

 ** _Later that night…_**  
“ **Samuel’s death is a terrible tragedy. But to lose Ash, who had barely began to live…** ” Giovanni stood before the camera in a fresh clean black suit, telling the kingdom of the fate of their king. Or rather, Giovanni’s spin on the events…  
At home, Misty sat on the couch, staring blankly at the screen. “ **No… please no…** ” she whispered as Daisy wrapped her arms around the distraught girl.  
“ **For me, it is a deep, personal loss.** ” Giovanni sighed, briefly covering his face with a hand to cover the smirk he felt coming.  
Delia sat at her kitchen table, hands on her face, tears running between her fingers. “ **Ash… Samuel…** ”  
Tracey, who had a bandage around his head and no memory of the day’s events, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Giovanni had woken him some time later, and informed him that he had turned to get help and ran straight into a rock, knocking himself unconscious.  
“ **So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne.** ” Giovanni walked behind Samuel’s desk, quietly savouring his triumph as he lowered himself into the lush chair. “ **Yet out of the ashes of this tragedy we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era in which Trainers and Team Rocket come together in a great and glorious future.** ”

In a tree some distance away, a small cat-like Pokémon sighed, and ran its paw over a crudely drawn image of a boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	6. Hakuna Matata time!

Ash sighed and collapsed onto the hard desert ground, his exhausted Pikachu in his arms. He had never been this thirsty before, and that little voice of guilt inside his head was telling him he didn’t deserve to live anyway. ‘ _Maybe I should just lay here and die…_ ’ he thought as he closed his eyes.  
Above him, the Vullaby and Mandibuzz that had been following saw their chance, and slowly swooped lower and lower.

A roar in the distance sent them scattering as an Arcanine ran up, two cheering brown-haired teens on its back.  
“ **I love it! Bowling for buzzards!** ” the taller one grinned, high-fiving the younger one as they climbed from the Pokémon’s back.  
The younger boy laughed. “ **Yeah! Gets ‘em every time…** ”  
The older boy went to look at what the flying-types had been interested in. “ **Oh uh… Hey, Gary.. You better come look. I think he’s still alive…** ”

Ash groaned and shifted as he came to. “ **Why is my face wet…?** ”  
“ **You okay kid?** ” Gary knelt down, offering a canteen full of water.  
Ash drank thirstily. “ **I guess so…** ” he panted as he caught his breath, offering the canteen to Pikachu, who gulped the water down.  
Brock stepped forward. “ **You nearly died out there…** ”  
Gary stood and crossed his arms with a smirk. “ **I saved you.** ”  
Brock glared at him, and Gary rolled his eyes. “ **Brock helped. A little.** ”  
Ash stood, waited as the world spun briefly, and walked back out towards the desert. “ **Thanks for your help.** ”  
“ **Hey, where you going?** ” Gary asked, confused.  
“ **Nowhere…** ” Ash grunted, barely pausing.

Gary nudged Brock. “ **Gee, he looks depressed.** ”  
The two walked after the slowly walking boy, bringing him to a halt. “ **What’s eating you, kid?** ”  
Brock rolled his eyes. “ **So, where you from?** ”  
Ash sighed and started walking again. “ **Who cares? I can’t go back…** ”  
Gary grinned. “ **Ah, you’re an outcast. That’s great. So are we.** ”  
Brock placed his hand on Ash’s shoulder bringing him once again to a halt. “ **What’d you do, kid?** ”  
Ash sighed and looked away. “ **Something terrible. But I don’t want to talk about it…** ”  
Gary shrugged. “ **Good. We don’t want to hear about it.** ”  
Brock nudged the younger boy hard in the ribs. “ **Come on Gary…** ” he whispered, before giving his attention back to the depressed young boy. “ **Anything we can do?** ”  
Ash shook his head. “ **Not unless you can change the past…** ”

Brock grinned. “ **You know, kid, in times like this, my buddy Gary here says you gotta put your behind in your past. No, wait…** ” he stopped. “ **I mean…** ”  
Gary face-palmed. “ **No, no, no. Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself.** ” He dismissed Brock with a wave of his hand and stepped in front of Ash. “ **It’s ‘ _You gotta put your past behind you._ ’**”  
He placed one hand on Ash’s shoulder. “ **Look, kid, bad things happen, and you can’t do anything about it, right?** ”  
Ash sighed. “ **Right.** ”  
Gary grinned. “ **Wrong! When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world.** ”  
Ash looked confused. “ **Well, that’s not what I was taught…** ”  
Gary placed an arm across Ash’s shoulders, careful not to dislodge Pikachu, turning him and steering him back towards the nearby forest. “ **Then maybe you need a new lesson. Repeat after me. Hakuna Matata.** ”  
Ash stopped and stared. “ **What?** ”  
Brock came up on his other side, getting him moving again with a hand on his shoulder. “ **Hakuna Matata. It means ‘ _no worries_ ’. Here, we’ll tell you all about it…**”

Ash soon learned to embrace Brock and Gary’s care-free lifestyle. He travelled and explored the land of Johto, and had befriended many wild Pokémon. Lacking Pokéballs, he couldn’t catch them, but under the guidance of his new friends, he preferred leaving the Pokémon as wild and free as he had become. Before anyone had known it, the years had passed, and Ash was surprised to one day realise that he had grown into a man.

 ** _Meanwhile, back home in Kanto…_**  
Tracey slowly sorted through the papers and sighed. “ **Samuel would have filled these out promptly…** ” he muttered.  
Giovanni’s door crashed open. “ **What?! What did you say?!** ”  
Tracey stepped back in fear. “ **Uh, nothing…** ”  
Giovanni stepped forwards menacingly. “ **You know the law. Never, ever, mention that name in my presence. I am the King!** ”  
Tracey bowed quickly. “ **Yes, sire, you are the King. I-I only mentioned it to illustrate the differences in you royal managerial approaches…** ” he stammered, hoping his excuse will cover his blunder.  
“ **Hey, boss…** ”

Giovanni turned from Tracey, who breathed a sigh of relief and scurried back behind his own small, bare desk.  
“ **Oh, what is it this time?** ” Giovanni scowled at Jessie and James as they walked in the room.  
“ **We’ve got a bone to pick with you…** ” James started.  
Jessie hushed him. “ **I’ll handle this.** ” She stepped forwards. “ **Boss, sir, there’s no food, no water.** ”  
James couldn’t resist speaking out as his stomach growled. “ **Yeah, it’s dinner time… and our Pokémon haven’t even anything decent in days.** ”  
Giovanni sighed with frustration. “ **It’s the Rangers job to do the hunting.** ”  
James shook his head. “ **Yeah, but they won’t go hunt…** ”  
Giovanni flicked a hand towards Tracey. “ **Oh, your Pokémon can eat him then.** ”  
Tracey dropped his papers and stared nervously at the group. “ **I’m gonna assume you’re telling a joke. Good one, sire…** ” he laughed nervously.

James whispered to Jessie. “ **I thought things were bad under Samuel…** ”  
Wobbuffet saluted proudly as Giovanni turned. “ **Wob-buffet!** ”  
“ **What did you say?** ” Giovanni glared menacingly.  
“ **I said Sa…** ” Jessie shoved her gloved hand over James’ mouth. “ **Do you want to die?** ” she whispered in his ear.  
James turned white. “ **Uh, I said… Where’s the manual?** ”  
Giovanni stared at him, before turning away. “ **Idiot. Now get out.** ”  
“ **But, we’re still hungry…** ” Jessie started.  
“ **OUT!** ” Giovanni roared, sending the three dashing away.

 ** _Back in Johto, oblivious to all this…_**  
Ash sat back with a satisfied smirk as the echoes of his belch died away.  
“ **Whoa nice one, Ash.** ” Gary chuckled.  
Ash grinned as he pulled a small remnant of food out of his scraggly beard. “ **Thanks. Man, I’m stuffed.** ”  
Brock gave a small burp. “ **Me too. I ate like a pig.** ”  
Gary smirked. “ **Funny… I thought Ash was the only pig here…** ”  
Brock grinned. “ **Oh, yeah…** ”  
Ash rolled his eyes at their gentle ribbing at his expense. “ **Oh, shut up…** ”

The three sighed happily, their bellies full, as they lay on their backs staring up at the stars.  
“ **Hey, you ever wondered what stars are made of?** ” Brock asked, scratching his belly.  
Gary yawned. “ **I dunno… Volbeat and Illumise that got stuck up there? That’s what I believed as a kid, anyway…** ”  
Brock grinned. “ **What about you, Ash?** ”  
Ash blushed. “ **Well, I don’t know… It’s kinda silly… More than Gary’s anyway…** ”  
“ **Oh, come on… Give, give, give…** ” The two older men chanted, wearing Ash down.  
“ **Well, okay…** ” he sighed. “ **Someone once told me, that the great kings of the past are up there, watching over us.** ”  
Gary looked across the sky. “ **You mean a bunch of dead royal guys are watching us?** ” he paused, and started snorting with laughter, Brock joining in. “ **Who told you something like that?!** ”  
Ash blushed and sighed. “ **Yeah, pretty dumb, right?** ”  
Gary rolled with laughter. “ **You’re killing me right now, man!** ”  
Ash quietly chuckled with embarrassment, and looked up at the stars. Sighing, he stood and walked away.  
Brock and Gary sat up and watched him go.  
“ **Was it something I said?** ” Gary asked Brock, who simply shrugged with confusion. 

Ash made his way to a nearby cliff and flopped down with a sigh. A puff of grass seeds burst out and were quickly taken by the wind, carried off into the distance. ‘ _Are you really up there, dad?_ ’

 

The grass seeds were carried for several days, until finally they reached the outstretched paw of a small cat-like Pokémon. Examining them as he ate a berry, he noticed something peculiar. “ **Wait… He is alive?!** ”  
Grinning, the Pokémon turned towards the faded image of a boy, smeared by his own paws many years ago. Quickly scribbling a rough beard onto the image, he grinned again. “ **It is time.** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	7. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this was as far as I'd gotten in three years. But after a post on Tumblr talking about Pokémon and Lion King similarities, it reminded me that I was writing this, and I was inspired to finish it that night.
> 
> FYI: **"This still means speech"** and _'This means thoughts.'_

**_Two weeks later…_**  
As Ash slept, Gary and Brock forage for supplies in an abandoned town. At a crossroads, Brock stopped dead as the alluring and unmistakable scent of perfume wafted across. Not even bothering to alert Gary, the rather lonely young man wondered down a side road, following the delightful smell.  
As he turned a corner, he discovered a beautiful young red-haired woman rummaging through a store’s front display, ignoring the broken glass in her search for anything usable. Smoothing back his hair, he approached her.  
“ **Well, hello thar…** ” he started.  
“ **Get back!** ” the woman yelled, brandishing a knife and a Pokéball.  
“ **Whoa there, I was just…** ” Brock held his hands up in an effort to calm the angry woman.  
The woman sniffed. “ **Yeah, I know exactly what you were just… And I don’t want any part of it, you hear me, creep?** ” she muttered as she stepped back and threw the Pokéball.  
Brock stared at the large blue Pokémon, terrified. “ **Oh geez…** ”  
She smirked. “ **Gyarados, eat this creeper.** ”

“ **Hey, Brock! Where’d you go, buddy?!** ” Gary called. He shook his head. “ **Geez, you’d think he’d warn a guy…** ”  
“ **ARGHHH!** ”  
Gary turned around to see Brock dashing down a side road, screaming. “ **Brock?** ”  
The older man tripped and fell headfirst into a mercifully empty trash can, getting stuck because of a large dent in the side.  
Gary ran over to him. “ **Brock! Hey, what’s going on?** ”  
“ **It’s gonna eat me!** ” Brock screamed, still thrashing as he attempted to escape.  
Gary looked confused. “ **Huh?** ” He turned and saw the Gyarados turning the corner, failing to see the woman walking calmly behind it.  
Gary jumped, and starting trying to free Brock from the can.  
“ **Whoa! Geez, why do I always have to save your… Argg!** ” he screamed as the Gyarados towered over him.

Suddenly, the Gyarados shrieked in pain as an electric attack whipped into it. Gary turned to see Ash commanding his Pikachu from the other side of the road, hat turned backwards and sighed with relief that Ash was taking this seriously. “ **Yeah, get it!** ”  
The woman quickly returned her Gyarados and called out a Staryu. “ **Water Gun them!** ”  
Ash ran forwards to confront the woman, and the two argued angrily as their Pokémon continued battling unattended.  
“ **Oof!** ” Ash yelled as the frustrated woman struck out with her leg in a sweeping kick, flooring Ash and knocking off his hat in the process, before kneeling on his chest with her knife brandished.  
“ **Call your Pokémon off!** ” she ordered.  
Pikachu, hearing her voice, turned and saw his trainer in trouble. Quickly, he ran over, and to everyone’s great surprise, he smiled up at her. “ **Pikachu-pi!** ”  
Ash stared up at the red-haired woman, blue-green eyes flashing with a familiar anger, and couldn’t believe his eyes. “ **Misty?** ”

Jumping up and stepping back, she stared down at him as he got up.  
“ **Is it really you?** ” he asked, eyes shining.  
She held the knife in front of her as Staryu returned to her side. “ **Who are you?** ”  
Ash picked up his cap and replaced it on his head, grinning. “ **It’s me. Ash, remember?** ”  
She stared, dropping the knife in shock. “ **Ash?** ”  
He nodded enthusiastically, brown eyes glinting with happiness.  
Misty grinned. “ **Whoa! How did you…** ” she screamed as she leapt towards him, laughing.  
“ **It’s great to see you!** ”

Gary stared as the two laughed and hugged, clearly confused. “ **Hey, what’s going on here?** ”  
“ **What are you doing here?** ” Ash asked, releasing the hug. Pikachu immediately took the opportunity to leap into her arms, nuzzling into her happily.  
Misty shook her head as she hugged Pikachu. “ **What am I doing here? What are you doing here?** ”  
“ **Hey! What’s going on here?!** ” Gary walked between the two excited teens and shouted to get their attention.  
Ash stared at Gary, and grinned. “ **Gary, this is Misty. She’s my best friend.** ”  
“ **Friend?** ” Gary growled.  
“ **Yeah. Hey, Brock, come over here.** ” Ash called.

Behind him, Brock finally managed to extract himself from the garbage can, and nervously came over as Misty glared.  
“ **Misty, this is Brock. Brock, Misty.** ”  
“ **We’ve met…** ” Misty grunted. “ **Perv tried to creep on me back there…** ”  
“ **What seriously?** ” Ash stared at her.  
“ **She sicked her Gyarados on me!** ” Brock whined.  
“ **I’ll do it again, too.** ” Misty smirked. “ **Nice to meet you both though.** ”  
Gary sighed. “ **Whoa… Time out. Let me get this straight. You know her, she knows you. But she tried to kill him, and you. And everyone’s okay with this? Did I miss something?!** ” he yelled.  
Ash grabbed Gary’s shoulder and pulled him away from the group. “ **Relax Gary. Misty’s always been quick to anger. She usually calms down before anyone gets hurt. She really wouldn’t have let you get eaten.** ” He added to Brock. " **Uh... well, probably not, anyway...** "

Misty sighed. “ **Wait til everyone finds out you’ve been here all this time. And your mother… What will she think?** ”  
Ash flinched as Misty unknowingly echoed his uncle’s words. “ **She doesn’t need to know. Nobody has to know.** ”  
Misty stared at him. “ **Well, of course they do. Everyone thinks you’re dead.** ”  
Ash’s jaw dropped. “ **They do?** ”  
Misty suddenly looked sad. “ **Yeah. Giovanni told us about the stampede.** ”  
Ash looked nervous. “ **He did? Uh… What else did he tell you?** ”  
Misty smiled again. “ **What else matters? You’re alive. And that means… you’re the king.** ”

Gary looked incredulous. “ **King? Lady, have you got your lines crossed!** ”  
Brock bowed low. “ **King? Your Majesty, I gravel at your feet!** ”  
Gary smacked Brock across the back of his head, causing him to fall face-first onto the ground. “ **It’s not gravel, it’s grovel. And don’t! He’s not the king. Are you?** ” he turned towards Ash, one eyebrow raised curiously.  
Ash shook his head. “ **No!** ”  
Misty crossed her arms and glared at him. “ **Ash!** ”  
Ash stepped back. “ **No, I’m not the king. Maybe I was gonna be, but that was a long time ago.** ”  
Gary stared at Ash. “ **Let me get this straight. You’re the king? And you never told us?** ”  
Ash turned towards him, face red. “ **Look, I’m still the same guy.** ”  
Gary smirked. “ **Yeah, but with power.** ”  
Misty sighed. “ **Look, you could guys excuse us for a few minutes?** ”  
Gary snorted. “ **Hey, whatever she has to say, she can say in front of us. Right, Ash?** ”  
Ash sighed. “ **Um... Maybe you’d better go…** ”  
The two older men stared. “ **It starts. You think you know a guy…** ”

As the two left the newly reunited pair alone, Ash rolled his eyes. “ **Gary and Brock… You learn to love ‘em.** ” Glancing back at Misty, he was stunned to see her looking sad. “ **What? What is it?** ” he nervously approached her.  
“ **It’s like you’re back from the dead.** ” Misty whispered. “ **You don’t know how much this will mean to everyone. What it means to me…** ” she trailed off, blush creeping up her face.  
Ash blushed. “ **Hey… It’s okay…** ”  
Misty hugged him again. “ **I’ve really missed you…** ”  
Ash stood, shocked for a moment, before returning the hug. “ **I’ve really missed you, too.** ”

Not far away, unseen behind the corner of a building, Gary and Brock watched.  
“ **I can see what’s happening.** ” Gary muttered.  
Brock sighed. “ **And they don’t have a clue…** ”  
“ **And you know he’s not gonna hang out with us anymore.** ” Gary grunted.  
Brock nodded. “ **He’s carefree days with us are history.** ”  
The two looked at each other. “ **He’s doomed.** ”

 ** _Meanwhile…_**  
Ash showed Misty around the town, and showed her the map the group had been using, telling her about all of the amazing places he’s been and explored, and all of the Pokémon he’s befriended. Somehow, they managed to find their way to the local beach, and sat there catching up and reminiscing about old days. As the day wore on, Misty somehow managed to doze off on Ash’s shoulder, cuddling Pikachu with a small smile on her face. Ash stared down at her, amazed at how much she’d grown and changed, but still noticing many scars she didn’t have before. ‘ _I don’t know what you’ve gone through, Myst, but I wish I could have been there…_ ’

Shortly before sunset, Misty woke, and the two sat on a nearby bench with a view of a waterfall that sparkled in the late afternoon light.  
“ **Isn’t Johto great, Misty?** ”  
Misty sighed. “ **It is beautiful. But I don’t understand something. You’ve been alive all this time. Why didn’t you come back to Kanto?** ”  
Ash nervously stretched out on the bench. “ **Well, I just needed to get out on my own, live my own life. And I did, and it’s great!** ”  
Misty sighed. “ **We really needed you at home.** ”  
Ash glanced away. “ **No-one needs me…** ”  
Misty glared. “ **Yes we do. You’re the king.** ”  
Ash groaned. “ **Misty, we’ve been through this. I’m not the king. Giovanni is.** ”  
“ **Ash, he let Team Rocket take over Kanto.** ” she looked at him.  
“ **What?** ” Ash stared in shock.

“ **Everything’s destroyed. There’s no food, no water. Even the power plant is failing. Ash, if you don’t do something soon, everyone will starve.** ”  
Ash rolled over onto his stomach. “ **I can’t go back…** ”  
“ **Why?** ” Misty asked, crossing her arms.  
“ **You wouldn’t understand.** ” Ash grunted, jumping onto his feet and walking away.  
“ **What wouldn’t I understand?** ” Misty asked, standing up and following him.  
Ash turned. “ **No, no, no. It doesn’t matter. Hakuna Matata.** ”  
Misty stared at him like he’d gone mad. “ **What?** ”  
“ **Hakuna Matata. It’s something I learned out here. Look, sometimes bad things happen…** ” Ash started pacing back and forth a little.  
“ **Ash!** ” Misty started.  
“ **…and there’s nothing you can do about it. So why worry?** ” he finished, cutting her off.  
Misty placed her hands on her hips. “ **Because it’s your responsibility.** ”  
Ash turned and glared at her. “ **Well, what about you? You left!** ”  
She sighed. “ **I left to find help… and I found you. Don’t you understand? You’re our only hope.** ”  
Ash shook his head and turned to leave. “ **Sorry.** ”

Misty glared at him. “ **What’s happened to you? You’re not the Ash I remember.** ”  
He briefly looked back. “ **You’re right. I’m not. Now are you satisfied?** ”  
Misty shook her head. “ **No. just disappointed.** ”  
“ **You know, you’re starting to sound like my father…** ” Ash grunted.  
She huffed. “ **Good. At least one of us does.** ”  
Ash stopped and spun around to face her. “ **Listen. You think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life? You don’t even know what I’ve been through!** ” he yelled, trying to stare her down.  
Misty glared back at him. “ **I would if you’d just tell me!** ”  
“ **Forget it!** ” he turned and stalked away.  
“ **Fine!** ” she yelled after him, picking up a rock and throwing it after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	8. Remember

Ash paced angrily back and forwards, slowly moving towards the forest.  
“ **She’s wrong. I can’t go back.** ” he muttered. “ **What would it prove, anyway? It won’t change anything. You can’t change the past.** ”  
He paused and looked up towards the night sky. “ **You said you’d always be there for me!** ” Ash called out, his voice echoing. “ **But you’re not... And it’s because of me. It’s my fault. It’s my fault…** ” he sobbed as Pikachu cooed soothingly in his ear.

Suddenly, he heard a voice, and saw a Meowth strutting along the road, chanting its own name obnoxiously. Ash turned and sadly walked down a side road that ended in a dirt track leading towards the forest.

Ash settled down on an old bus stop bench and sighed heavily. When he heard the voice again, he looked up to see the same Meowth, sitting in a nearby tree, slowly using its paw to polish the already gleaming charm on its forehead.  
Ash groaned. “ **Come on, will you cut it out?** ”  
The Meowth looked down at him. “ **Can’t cut it out, it’ll grow right back.** ” He gave a laugh at Ash’s shocked face.  
“ **Holy smokes, you can talk?!** ”  
Meowth grinned a toothy grin. “ **Can’t you?** ”  
He started to chant his own name again, and as Ash’s shock wore off, he found himself getting annoyed.  
Pikachu sparked dangerously, understanding the odd little cat’s speech.

Standing, Ash started back across the city towards the beach, preferring an angry Misty’s company to this strange little cat Pokémon.  
“ **Creepy little Meowth…** ” he muttered, jumping slightly as he noticed the cat had lithely jumped down and was walking beside him. “ **Will you stop following me?!** ” he paused. “ **Who are you?** ”  
Meowth chuckled and looked knowingly up at him. “ **The question, who… are you?** ”  
Ash looked shocked, but then sighed. “ **I thought I knew… Now I’m not so sure…** ”  
Meowth nudged his knee. “ **Well, I know who you are. Come here, it’s a secret.** ”  
Ash knelt down to the Pokémons level and, feeling a bit silly, allowed him to put his head closer to whisper in his ear.  
The cat started chanting his own name again, startling Ash who stood angrily.  
“ **Ugh, enough already! What is that supposed to mean, anyway?!** ”  
Meowth paused in his chanting and glanced at Ash slyly. “ **It means you’re a weirdo, and I’m not.** ”

He laughed, and Ash turned and slowly walked away. “ **I think you’re a little confused…** ”  
Suddenly, the Meowth was in front of him, standing on his chest holding the front of his blue jacket and pointing one long claw directly at Ash’s nose. “ **Wrong! I’m not the one who’s confused. You don’t even know who you are.** ”  
Ash sighed, frustrated. “ **Oh, and I suppose you know.** ” he asked sarcastically.  
Meowth jumped down as Ash started to walk back into the city. “ **Sure do. You’re Samuel’s boy.** ”  
Ash paused, stunned. Turning to stare at the Pokémon in confusion, he was greeted with a smirk and a wave of a paw.  
“ **Bye.** ” Meowth grinned, taking off into the forest.  
“ **Hey, wait!** ” Ash called, chasing after him.

Ash caught up to the Meowth as he sat preening himself on a rock.  
Ash paused to catch his breath. “ **You knew my father?** ”  
Meowth didn’t even pause as one paw swiped across an ear. “ **Correction: I know your father.** ”  
Ash sighed. “ **I hate to tell you this… but he died… a long time ago.** ”  
Meowth grinned and hopped off the rock. “ **Nope. Wrong again.** ” He laughed as he ran towards the deepest part of the woods. “ **He’s alive, and I’ll show him to ya. You follow old Meowth. He knows the way. Come on!** ”  
Ash felt a glimmer of hope that maybe this Pokémon wasn’t as crazy as he thought, and with a brief glance back towards the city and his friends, he followed the scratch-cat Pokémon into the deep forest.

“ **Don’t dawdle. Hurry up**!” Meowth called.  
Ash climbed over giant tree roots and pulled himself through thick tangles of vines, as he desperately tried to keep Meowth in sight. “ **Hey, whoa… wait, wait!** ” he called as Pikachu jumped off his shoulder to give him more wriggle room and started to guide him by instinct through the narrowest gaps on the thick growth.  
“ **Come on!** ” Meowth called, his tail barely in view.  
“ **Would you slow down?!** ” Ash called, pausing to retrieve his hat as he swept under a low branch.  
Ash ran blindly, following the sound of Meowth’s laughter, tearing through vines and being slapped in the face with musty-smelling branches.  
Suddenly, Meowth’s paw was poking through a gap on the tree roots. “ **Stop!** ” Meowth ordered, as Ash screeched to a halt, panting.

Meowth held one fuzzy toe to his lips, shushing Ash. Skipping over to some nearby long grass, he gently pulled it aside. “ **Look down dere.** ” he whispered.  
Ash gulped and stepped forwards. Encouraged by Meowth’s nod, he peered through the grass and down into a pond. His reflection stared curiously back up at him. ‘ _I was right the first time. This cat IS crazy!_ ’  
Sighing, Ash sat down. “ **That’s not my father. That’s just my reflection.** ”  
Meowth stepped beside him. “ **No! Look… harder…** ” he indicated the water again, touching it slightly with the tip of his claw, a soft ripple forming at the spot.

As Ash looked into his reflection, he gasped as the shimmering image slowly began to look like his father.  
“ **You see… He lives in you.** ” Meowth smiled wisely.  
Ash stared at the face of his father with shock, memories burning within his mind.  
“ **…Ash…** ”  
He glanced up at the familiar voice. “ **…Father?** ”  
Ash watched as a large cloud suddenly poured over the horizon, and formed into the loose image of his father’s loving face.  
“ **Ash, you have forgotten me.** ”  
Ash shook his head furiously. “ **No. How could I?** ”  
Samuel nodded. “ **You have forgotten who you are, and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Ash. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life.** ”  
Ash winced. “ **How can I go back? I’m not who I used to be…** ”  
As the cloud shifted, the image of Samuel briefly gained intensity, but swiftly disappeared. “ **Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. Remember who you are.** ”  
Ash ran after the rushing cloud as it swept back over the horizon, finding himself back at the abandoned bus stop. “ **No! Please, don’t leave me! Father! Don’t leave me…** ” he gasped as he slowed to a stop, the thunderhead suddenly giving way to a clear starry night.

Meowth walked up beside him, chuckling. “ **Whew, what was dat?! The weather. Pah! Most peculiar, don’t you tink?** ”  
Ash sighed and sat down on the bench. “ **Yeah. Looks like the winds are changing.** ”  
Meowth nodded sagely as he hopped up beside him. “ **Ah… change is good.** ”  
Ash thought about what he was expected to do. “ **Yeah, but it’s not easy. I know what I have to do, but going back means I’ll have to face my past. I’ve been running from it for so long…** ”  
Suddenly, Meowth picked up a nearby stick and bash Ash over the head with it, narrowly missing Pikachu on the other side, who chattered angrily at him.  
“ **OW! Geez! What was that for?!** ”  
Meowth grinned and shrugged. “ **It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.** ”  
Ash rubbed his head and checked his hand for blood. “ **Yeah, but it still hurts.** ”  
Meowth patted his shoulder comfortably. “ **Oh, yes. The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or… learn from it.** ”  
Ash saw Meowth’s grip tighten on the stick, and ducked just in time as it swung over his head.  
Meowth cackled. “ **Ah! You see? So what are you goin’ to do?** ”  
Ash glanced over slyly. “ **First, I’m gonna take your stick.** ” He grabbed the stick out of the Pokémon’s paws and flung it off into the distance. Ash stood up and started running to the east.  
“ **Hey! Where are you going?!** ” Meowth called after him.  
“ **I’m going back!** ” Ash yelled, his feet pounding as he retraced roads few have walked in years.  
“ **Good! Go on! Get outta here!** ” Meowth cackled happily.

As the young man ran out of sight, and small round figure appeared beside Meowth. “ **It worked?** ”  
Meowth nodded. “ **Yeah, tanks for the favour, Gastly.** ”  
“ **Anytime.** ”  
“ **Noice work wit the cloud dere.** ”  
“ **I thought it would be a nice touch. A bit of the… mystical, and unexplainable.** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	9. The Return

Gary and Brock dozed either side of the large Arcanine, Gary half-draped over its back.  
“ **Ladies, please don’ figh’ over me… Oh, alrigh’ den, figh’…** ” Brock murmured.  
Misty paused and rolled her eyes. ‘ _Creeper._ ’ She quietly called Marill out. “ **Water Gun ‘em. But take it easy on the fire-type.** ” She poked a thumb towards the sleeping boys.  
Marill smirked and took a breath, preparing its attack.

The boys woke up with a scream, dripping wet, and Arcanine leapt a good 20 feet away in one bound. “ **Sorry Arcanine!** ” Misty called.  
The large tiger-dog gave her a reproachful look before shaking itself off and settling back down to watch.  
Brock gasped. “ **Oh man, they were just getting to the good part!** ” he moaned.  
Gary squeezed some of the water out of his shirt and glared over at the smirking water-type trainer. “ **What the hell was that for?!** ”  
Misty rolled her eyes. “ **Have you guys seen Ash?** ”  
Gary shook his hair violently, flinging water everywhere, and causing Misty to dodge further away. “ **I thought lover-boy was with you.** ”  
Misty shook her head, blush burning on her face. “ **He was, but not like that, creep! … But now I can’t find him. Where is he?** ”  
Hearing a laugh, they turned to spot a Meowth sitting in a tree nearby. “ **You won’t find him here! The King has returned.** ” He gave a mock bow before darting off.

Misty stared at the spot. “ **I can’t believe it. He’s gone back!** ”  
Gary stopped trying to dry himself and stared at her. “ **Gone back? What do you mean? Hey… what’s going on here?!** ” He indicated the now empty tree. “ **Who’s the Meowth?! And how can it talk?!** ”  
Misty couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. “ **Ash has gone to challenge Giovanni, his uncle, and take his rightful place as King.** ”

 

 ** _A few days later..._**  
Ash ran across the plains, pausing now and then to check his battered compass and look for almost-forgotten landmarks.  
Finally, he stepped past the Tohjo Falls and followed the river upstream to where it almost met with the Kantonian border. Coming around a bend in the winding path through the foothills of the mountains, he gasped.  
Gone were the lush green grassy plains of his childhood, the blue rivers slowly meandering past and emptying into Vermilion Bay. The great herds that thundered across following the rains in the migration season, and had indirectly caused the death of his father, were missing.  
Only dust clouds, barren trees, the bleached bones of many wild Pokémon who had lost their fight to live and a dry riverbed greeted him.

'

Ash stood on a small outcrop and wiped a tear away as he looked down upon his hometown. The houses derelict and in disrepair. Once flowery gardens were dry, brown and as lifeless as the town looked.  
“ **Ash, wait up!** ” Ash turned to see Misty running up behind him, pausing to catch her breath, she looked down at the town. “ **It’s awful, isn’t it?** ”  
Ash sighed and turned back. “ **I didn’t want to believe you…** ”  
Misty glanced over. “ **What made you come back?** ”  
Ash rubbed the top of his head, dislodging his hat slightly. “ **I finally got some sense knocked into me, and I’ve got the bump to prove it.** ” Ash stepped forward. “ **Besides, this is my kingdom. If I don’t fight for it, who will?** ”  
Misty stepped closer, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “ **I will.** ”  
He glanced over. “ **It’s gonna be dangerous…** ”  
Misty smirked. “ **Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger, hahahahaha!** ” she grinned, mimicking his words from so long ago.

“ **I see nothing funny about this.** ” Gary said as he pulled Arcanine to a stop, Brock falling off the back with a grunt.  
“ **Gary! Brock! What are you doing here?!** ” Ash turned, stunned.  
Brock stepped forwards and bowed low. “ **At your service, my liege.** ”  
Gary rolled his eyes as he walked and stood beside Ash. “ **So… we’re gonna fight your uncle… for this?** ”  
Ash nodded. “ **Yeah, Gary. This is my home.** ”  
“ **Talk about your fixer-upper.** ” Gary muttered under his breath. “ **Well, Ash. If it’s important to you, we’re with you to the end.** ” He gave a short bow.  
Ash smiled as the four of them stood over-looking the damaged landscape.

'

“ **Rockets… Great, just great…** ” Gary groaned, then leaned over to Ash as they hid behind a fallen tree. “ **So, what’s your plan for getting past these guys?** ”  
“ **Live bait.** ” Ash smirked.  
“ **Good idea.** ” Gary paused. “ **Hey!** ”  
Ash turned to his annoyed friend. “ **Come on, Gary. You guys have to create a diversion.** ”  
Gary smacked his own forehead in frustration. “ **What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?!** ”

 

“ **So lalala, look at my smiling face!**  
**There are lots of girls, I’m in my happy place**  
**So lalala, this is my paradise**  
**So live on! Ole, yeah, oh!** ”  
Brock shook the maracas as Gary pounded the rhythm away on a tambourine.  
‘ _This. Is... Beyond embarrassing. Ash. Will. PAY!_ ’ Gary fumed. He spotted Ash and Misty creeping around behind the grunts as they clapped and jeered at the two men.  
Ash threw Gary a quick thumbs up and mouthed the word thanks just before they crept out of view. “ **You owe me…** ” Gary muttered as Brock finished yet another verse.  
By now, the grunts were started to get bored with this game, and with a quick glance at each other, Gary and Brock threw their instruments at the crowd and ran screaming to a spot they’d picked out earlier that they hoped would give them the chance to give the rockets the slip.  
“ **Speaking of slips, why do you even have these? Or shouldn’t I ask?** ” Gary glared at Brock as the older man turned faintly red in the face, their dresses flapping around their legs.  
“ **Uh… less talking, more running for our lives!** ”

 

“ **Misty, you find my mother, and rally all of the capable trainers you can find. I’ll look for Giovanni.** ”  
Ash crept around the side of the familiar building that was his former home. The paint was peeling, several windows were broken and as he watched, a couple of tiles slid off the roof, crashing to the ground far ahead.  
“ **Delia!** ”  
Ash froze as his heard his mothers’ name, and stared as a woman with greying brown hair walked towards the building. Quietly, as thunder started to rumble above, he followed her inside, just a moment too late to stop the elevator doors from closing.  
Resigned, he located the stairs and pushing aside some rubble, he began to climb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	10. Confrontation

Ash moved along the corridor outside his father office, grateful for the thick layer of dust embedded in the carpet as it muffled his footsteps. As he inched closer to the door, he paused to listen.  
“ **Where are the rangers? They are not doing their job.** ”  
Delia sighed wearily. “ **Giovanni, there is no food. The herds have moved on.** ”  
As Ash cracked the door slightly, he could see Giovanni pacing back and forwards angrily, flash of grey hairs streaked within the black, and felt pride to see his mother standing tall and proud, refusing to be intimidated.  
“ **No, they’re just not looking hard enough.** ”  
Delia shook her head. “ **It’s over. There is nothing left. We have only one choice. We must leave Kanto.** ”  
Giovanni slammed his fist down on the desk. “ **We’re not going anywhere.** ”  
Delia clenched a fist briefly. “ **Then you have sentenced us to death.** ”  
Giovanni stepped closer, a full head taller than Delia. “ **Then so be it.** ”  
Delia’s eyes briefly flashed with fear. “ **You can’t do that…** ”  
Giovanni turned away, dismissively. “ **I am the King. I can do whatever I want.** ”  
Delia glared at his back. “ **If you were half the king that Samuel was…** ”  
Giovanni turned with a roared, lashing out and striking Delia across the face. “ **I AM TEN TIMES THE KING THAT SAMUEL WAS!** ”

Lightning flashed through the window as the door was thrown open.  
Delia half sat on the floor, holding her throbbing face as Giovanni stepped backwards, leaning back against the desk in fear, as if he’d seen a ghost. Delia wasn’t sure about that herself, and she saw what looked like a younger Samuel stepped through the door, lightning flickering in the distance giving him a ghostly shimmer.  
“ **Samuel? No, y-you’re dead.** ”  
Ash stepped forward and knelt down, offering a hand to help Delia from the floor.  
“ **Samuel?** ”  
Ash shook his head. “ **No. it’s me.** ”  
Recognition shone in her eyes as another distant flash lit the young man’s face. “ **Ash? You’re alive? But... how can that be?** ”  
Ash helped her up and gave her a hug. “ **It doesn’t matter. I’m home.** ”

Giovanni heard the exchange as Jessie, James and Wobbuffet arrived at the door. “ **Ash?! Ash… I’m a little surprised to see you… alive…** ” he glared towards the door, and the trio quietly slunk away, knowing their lie from so long ago had finally returned to bite them firmly on their rears.  
Ash released Delia and stepped forward angrily. “ **Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip you apart.** ” he growled.  
Giovanni back away, trying to keep the desk between himself and the furious young man. “ **Oh, Ash, you must understand. The pressures of ruling a kingdom…** ”  
“ **…are no longer yours. Step down, Giovanni.** ” Ash finished, backing the much older man into a corner.  
Giovanni chuckled. “ **Oh, well, I would, naturally. However, there is one little problem. You see them?** ” he indicated out of the window, where the courtyard was quickly filling up with Team Rocket Grunts, alerted to Ash’s intrusion by Jessie and James. “ **They think I’m King.** ”  
“ **Well, we don’t.** ”

The two turned towards the door to see Misty standing there, several other powerful looking trainers standing behind her, various coloured Pokéballs in hand. Through the window, more trainers could be spotted sneaking up on the assembled grunts, waiting for any cue to start their long-awaited attack. “ **Ash is the rightful King.** ”  
Ash smiled at her briefly before turning back to his uncle. “ **The choice is yours, Giovanni. Either step down, or fight.** ”  
Giovanni sighed wearily and slipped out from his corner, sliding his left hand across the desk as he went. “ **Oh, must this all end in violence? I’d hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn’t you agree, Ash?** ”

Ash frowned. “ **That’s not gonna work, Giovanni. I’ve put it behind me.** ”  
Giovanni sidled closer to the trainers. “ **But what about your faithful subjects? Have they put it behind them?** ”  
Misty looked confused. “ **Ash, what is he talking about?** ”  
Giovanni smirked and returned to slowly circle around Ash. “ **Ah! So you haven’t told them your little secret. Well, Ash, now’s your chance to tell them. Tell them who is responsible for Samuel’s death.** ”

The trainers paused from sorting out their Pokémon and looked over at Ash.  
He sighed faintly and stepped forward. “ **I am.** ”  
Delia and Misty looked horrified, and Delia walked over, shaking slightly. “ **It’s not true. Tell me it’s not true!** ”  
Ash sighed and glanced away, not able to look her in the eyes. “ **It’s true.** ”  
Giovanni pounced. “ **You see? He admits it! Murderer!** ”  
Ash stepped back. “ **No! It was an accident!** ”  
Giovanni continued his circling, growing ever more intimidating. “ **If it wasn’t for you, Samuel would be alive. It’s your fault he's dead! Do you deny it?** ”  
Ash dropped his head. “ **No.** ”  
“ **Then you’re guilty.** ” Giovanni proclaimed triumphantly.  
“ **No, I’m not a murderer!** ” Ash stepped back shaking fearfully.  
Giovanni pressed him further back, towards the open window. “ **Oh Ash, you’re in trouble again, but this time daddy isn’t here you save you, and now everyone knows why!** ”

As a group of Rocket grunts pushed their way into the room and held the trainers at bay, Ash bumped into the window ledge and slipped out. Desperately, he grabbed into the frame, holding on by just his finger-tips.  
“ **ASH!** ” A restrained Misty called out just as a bolt of lightning hit the dry parched grass below, igniting it instantly into a roaring blaze that rushed closer to the building with each passing moment.

Giovanni moved forward thoughtfully and looked down at Ash, hanging precariously from the window. “ **Now, this looks familiar. Where have I seen this before? Let me think.** ”  
He mused playfully as Ash tried to half-walk-half-climb his way back in through the window.  
“ **Oh yes. Now I remember. This is just the way your father looked before he died.** ”  
Giovanni leaned forward and placed his hands gently on Ash’s, as if to help him inside. “ **And here’s my little secret.** ”  
He leaned in closer, head outside the window, so no-one behind him could hear. “ **I killed Samuel.** ” he whispered.

Memories flashed through Ash’s head. A child screaming in terror, his father falling from a place unseen, the thundering of countless hooves.  
Roaring, he burst back in through the window, taking Giovanni with surprise as the young man straddled his chest, hands clawing at the greying man’s throat as Giovanni helplessly tried to throw the stronger man off.  
“ **Murderer!** ” he screamed.  
Giovanni saw nothing but anger in his eyes, and knew he had miscalculated. “ **No, Ash, please…** ”  
“ **Tell them the truth!** ” Ash demanded.  
Giovanni gave a half-hearted chuckle. “ **Truth? But truth is in the eye of the behold… urk!** ” he stopped as Ash pressed a hand to his throat, with just enough pressure to get the point across.  
“ **All right. All right!** ” He rasped as the pressure didn’t release. “ **I did it.** ” he gasped, as Ash finally allowed him to breath.  
“ **So they can hear you.** ”  
Giovanni stared into his eyes. “ **I KILLED SAMUEL!** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.


	11. The Fight

The room behind the pair erupted with shouts as Misty slugged the grunt holding her, slammed another one into the wall beside her and kneed the one holding Delia in the crotch. As the grunt crumpled to the floor, Misty pressed a Pokéball into Delia’s hands as a backup, and quickly called out Staryu.  
As she battled to clear the room of grunts before they could defend Giovanni, she noticed several had reached Ash and pulled him away from Giovanni. Furious, she tackled them, knocking one down and out for the count.  
Ash managed to shake a couple off, and she flash him a quick grin as she shoved a small Pokéball up one grunt’s left nostril, and pressed the button to increase its size. Ash winced as the grunts' nose promptly seemed to explode, and stared at Misty as she barely even paused to retrieve the ball. ‘ _I’m glad she’s on my side._ ’ he mused.  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement, and turned to see Giovanni slinking out the now unguarded door.

Reaching the door, Ash passed Gary and Brock, and gave them a quick nod.  
“ **Help the others, I’m going after my uncle.** ”  
“ **Excuse me. Pardon me. Comin’ through. Hot stuff.** ” Gary grinned as he reached the centre of the room.  
Ash was glad once again for the lax cleaning as he followed the footprints Giovanni had left behind to the stairwell that led up to the roof.  
As he climbed, he was leapt on by a small group of grunts who had waited in the stairwell.  
As Ash struggled with them, attempting to avoid being thrown back down the stairs, a small pale yellow figure darted into the fray with flashes of light, and screams echoed through the building.  
Meowth paused and smiled at Ash as the grunts whimpered on the floor holding their badly scratched faces. “ **Get going.** ”  
Ash nodded and continued the climb, bursting out into the roof. He could see the flames had been swept closer to the building, their progress only slowed by the more limited burnable material in the immediate area.

Gary and Brock ran from a group of grunts, lifting dust clouds along the corridor.  
Brock darted into an alcove and the group swept past him, still chasing Gary.  
Gary ran into a small room, the grunt hot on his heels as he slammed the door. Turning to grab items to stack against the door, he saw a slightly older man with black hair and tattered shorts peering from the floor behind his desk.  
“ **I don’t supposed you’ve come to rescue me?** ” he asked weakly.  
“ **You’ll have to rescue me first.** ” Gary retorted.  
Their brief moment of distraction was enough, and the grunts burst through the door, menacing the two men.  
“ **Hey, leave them alone.** ” Brock stood behind them in the doorway.  
One grunt laughed. “ **Hey, check out squinty here.** ”  
Brock tensed up. “ **Are you talking to me?** ”  
“ **Uh oh, he called him squinty!** ” Gary groaned, diving behind the desk beside Tracey.  
“ **Are you talking to me?** ” Brock stepped forward, and the grunts started looking nervous.  
“ **Shouldn’t have done that…** ” Gary groaned, pulling Tracey’s head down to safety.  
“ **Are you talking to me?!** ”  
“ **Now they’re in for it.** ” Gary held up four fingers.  
“ **They call me, Mr. Squinty!** ” Brock screamed and charged tackling the grunts head on.  
Within four minutes, they had been knocked out cold, and the three men were laughing triumphantly as they walked out of the room to re-join the battle.

Ash spotted Giovanni at the edge of the building, looking down for any sign of hope for himself. Embers from the fire wafted through the broken windows, setting fire to the dry dusty interior.  
“ **Murderer.** ” Ash growled, advancing slowly.  
Giovanni turned. “ **Ash, Ash, please. Please, have mercy. I beg you.** ”  
Ash ignored him, continuing his slow advance. “ **You don’t deserve to live.** ”  
Giovanni eyes darted wildly, looking for even the slightest reprieve. “ **But, Ash, I am… family… It’s Team Rocket who are the real enemy. It was their fault. It was their idea.** ”  
Unbeknownst to him, Jessie and James had retreated to the roof to wait out the battle and claim victory, and from their hiding place in the air conditioning vent, they heard everything. Angrily they glared and shared a nod, shimmying down the vent to tell the others what they had heard.

“ **Why should I believe you? Everything you ever told me was a lie.** ” He reached Giovanni and stood over him, glaring into his uncle’s cold but fearful eyes.  
“ **W-What are you going to do?** ” he trembled. “ **You wouldn’t kill your own uncle…** ” he added with a smile.  
Ash looked as though he was seriously considering it, and the smile dropped. “ **No, Giovanni. I’m not like you.** ”  
Giovanni almost sighed with relief and smiled sweetly at his nephew. “ **Oh, Ash, thank you. You are truly noble. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. And how can I, uh, prove myself to you? Tell me. I mean, anything.** ”  
Ash looked him squared in the eye without any trace of his boyhood fear or regrets. “ **Run.** ”  
The smile fell from Giovanni’s face as he processed the word.  
“ **Run away, Giovanni, and never return.** ”

Giovanni’s jaw worked briefly as he shuddered. “ **Ah. Yes, of course. As you wish…** ” he paused as he spotted some glowing embers which had landed on the roof. “ **…your Majesty!** ” He suddenly turned and kicked them up into Ash’s face.  
Ash growled in pain and shook his face, trying to clear the hot ember from his skin.  
Suddenly, Giovanni was on him, tackling him as if he had lost all reason.  
Wrestling, the two men swatted and thumped each other blindly, each intent on inflicting a finishing blow to the other as the building burned beneath them.

Ash was punched hard to the right side of his jaw, and went flying towards the edge of the roof.  
Landing on his side, stunned, he just barely had time to register Giovanni leaping at him through the smoke and reacted instinctively.  
“ **Pikachu, Volt Tackle!** ” he called. The electric mouse, who had already been running towards them through the smoke, charge his body up and ran at the airborne villain.  
Giovanni was in turn helpless to dodge, and the impact from the small Pokémon was enough to send him flying over the edge.

Giovanni landing awkwardly, hearing at least one bone snap. Gasping for air, he slowly stood up, favouring a broken and bleeding leg by leaning against the wall for support and wondering how he had survived such a fall.  
Seeing shapes through the smoke, he looked up to see the Rocket grunts, including Jessie and James with their uniforms stained with grit and smoke. “ **Ah, my friends.** ” He crooned.  
Jessie stared coldly at him. “ **Friends? I thought he said we were the enemy.** ”  
James nodded as more grunts came up behind them. “ **Yeah. That’s what I heard.** ”  
A flash of light and they glanced at Wobbuffet, who for once had forgone his usual smiling face to stared blankly at Giovanni. “ **Wobbuffet?** ” the two asked.  
“ **Buffet.** ” It saluted as the other grunts called out their hungry Pokémon.  
Giovanni’s blood turned to ice as they approached. “ **No. let me explain. No, you don’t understand!** ” he tried to retreat, but found himself hampered by his broken leg. “ **No, I didn’t mean… no! NO!** ”

Ash looked down at the horde of hungry Pokémon and shuddered. Pikachu leapt up beside him and looked slightly guilty, but Ash soothed him with a quick scratch behind the ear. “ **Thanks buddy…** ”  
Blocking out the anguished screams of his uncle, he started towards the stairs to check on his friends.  
However, as he reached the top of the stairwell, the rumble of thunder drew his attention. He turned to discover rain had started to fall. Softly at first, but then it poured, drenching the area and seeping through the various holes in the building caused by time, fire and the various attacks of Pokémon.  
By the time Ash had reached the ground floor, the fire was all but extinguished, with only small spot fires left smouldering, waiting for a trainer to find and put them out, or a breeze to start them tearing across the land again.

The large group of trainers huddle together in the courtyard, which was mercifully spared from the fire. There was no shelter from the rain, but for many of them, this had been the first rain they had experienced in many years, and they were thrilled, cheering and dancing.  
As Ash stepped from the building, Brock and Gary were the first to spot him, and they came rushing over, pausing at a safe distance to eye the bruises now swelling on his face.  
Tracey rushed over next, bowing slightly as he remembered his duty.  
Ash gave him a quick nod, glad to see he had survived the terrors of Giovanni’s rule, and the subsequent battle to remove him from power.  
Delia ran up and gave Ash a hug, almost ruining the moment by asking when he last changed his underwear.

Thankfully, Delia stepped aside when Misty walked up, and throwing her arms around Ash’s neck, she gave him the most amazing kiss of his life.  
“ **It’s good to be king…** ” he murmured as she smirked.  
“ **Yep.** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Character list:**  
>  Simba: Ash.  
> Nala: Misty.  
> Mufasa: Prof. Oak.  
> Scar: Giovanni.  
> Sarabi: Delia.  
> Sarafina: Daisy. ( _she’s the most motherly of Misty’s sisters, and as we don’t know anything about their parents…_ )  
> Zazu: Tracey.  
> Rafiki: Meowth.  
> Timon: Gary.  
> Pumbaa: Brock.  
> Shenzi: Jessie.  
> Banzai: James.  
> Ed: Wobbuffet.
> 
>  
> 
>  **Pre-empting questions:** Ash can follow Giovanni's footprints to the stairwell because the other trainers took the elevator, which is at the other end of the hallway. So to the left of the door is an all trampled and jumbled mess of prints, but to the right only has Ash and Giovanni's prints.  
>  And no, Tracey's shirt did not survive the decade of bullying courtesy of the Rockets, why do you ask?


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I went off script for the epilogue, cause come on. The end of the movie is pretty much screaming and dangling a newborn off a cliff.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading. I'll appreciate any feedback.

Ash sat nervously in behind the desk, tugging at the tie as Delia fussed over his hair.  
“ **You of all people should know that you’re wasting your time, trying to tame that hair.** ” Misty grinned as she leaned against the wall.  
Delia sighed. “ **Well, no-one can say I didn't try. We’re going to have the scruffiest looking King in the history of Kanto.** ” She swatted Ash’s hand. “ **And stop fussing with your tie!** ”  
“ **Yes mum.** ” Ash sighed, allowing her to finish preparing him for his first ever address to the kingdom. 

“ **And we’re off.** ”  
Ash sighed with relief as the camera man switched off the camera and started packing up.  
Glancing over at Delia, he quickly yanked the tie away as Misty came over to him.  
“ **That went… better than I expected, all things considering.** ” Misty mused. “ **Shame your fly was undone the entire time.** ”  
Ash quickly looked down, hand whipping to his suit pants before realising he’d been had. “ **Very funny, Myst.** ”  
Misty giggled as she sat on the edge of his desk. “ **Well, we needed a good laugh. It’s been a rough few months, following an impossible few years. Seems to me like everyone could do with a celebration, now that the region’s ecosystem is recovering and the wildlife is returning.** ”  
Ash glanced at her, confused. “ **Huh?** ”  
She rolled her eyes. “ **Plants grow big. Animals eat plants. We eat animals and plants. Bodies feed the soil so more plants can grow. Circle of life stuff, remember?** ”  
Ash nodded. “ **Yeah, I remember.** ” They sat in silence for a moment as the crew finished packing up.

Tracey came in and nodded to them. “ **Just fixing the bulbs.** ” He held up couple of boxes of small LEDs labelled with various colourful markings.  
Ash nodded and watched as Tracey went to the regional map and started unscrewing all of the bulbs, tossing them into a small tissue lined box ready for disposal.  
“ **Hey Myst?** ”  
She turned and glanced at him.  
“ **I just thought of a reason to celebrate.** ”  
Misty titled her head curiously. “ **Yeah? And what is this bright idea, oh-great-and-mighty King Ash?** ” she teased.  
“ **A royal wedding.** ” He looked up at her with a grin as Tracey dropped a LED on the carpet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Professor Oak of Deviantart for taking the time to reread for the purpose of giving me feedback on typos and grammar errors.  
> You can find her DA here: https://professoroak.deviantart.com/  
> Thanks!


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